“If Canadian polar bears, shown here in a Manitoba file photo, had an actor’s union, they might be miffed that a bear from China snagged a starring role in and upcoming Hollywood Movie.”

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above. ———djo——— }

=======================

Kenojuak Ashevak’s The Enchanted Owl, created in 1960, was featured on a Canadian stamp and has permeated Canadian culture. (West Baffin Eskimo Co-Operative Ltd./National Gallery of Canada)

{ Question of the Day: If the Harper Government is trying so damned hard to de-fang the CBC, whose news coverage has not buckled under his thumb and reported only what he approved of: Why does nobody up there see this a treason? }

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Lead Articles:

-Analysis- China’s ‘anaconda strategy’ for choking off the Hong Kong protests: Patrick Brown { “In Hong Kong, Patrick Brown observes how Beijing has, among other measures, been quietly halting the flow of Chinese tourists, an important source of income, to Hong Kong in the hopes of pitting residents against the blockading students. —djo— }

Kei Nishikori beats Milos Raonic at Japan Open final { }

Texas seeks ‘low risk’ homeless man linked to Ebola case { }

Man in Dallas with Ebola ‘fighting for his life’: official { }

Hong Kong protesters agree to remove some barricades { }

Typhoon Phanfone heads to Tokyo after killing U.S. airman { }

Pope urges creative approach to family at Vatican meeting { }

Churches, mosques offer prayers for Briton killed by ISIS { }

Doctors still befuddled about prescribing medical marijuana { “Some Canadian doctors continue to have concerns about prescribing medical marijuana after new guidelines were released for family physicians. – MDs say they have little scientific data to guide their authorizations for medical cannabis – Earlier this week, the College of Family Physicians of Canada released preliminary guidance to its 30,000 members on prescribing dried cannabis.

The college said there’s no research evidence supporting use of medical marijuana for low-back pain or fibromyalgia. Its use can be considered for neuropathic pain, such as nerve-damage pain resulting from multiple sclerosis, from metastatic cancer or from diabetic neuropathy, when those conditions don’t respond to standard treatments, the guidelines state. -Who should be able to legally access medical cannabis is a contentious issue, even within the medical profession. – In April, Health Canada changed its regulations and put the power to authorize medical marijuana use in the hands of doctors. Supplies of the herb are now provided by licensed growers and patients with proven medical needs are no longer allowed to grow it for personal use. – “We have little scientific data to guide us,” the college’s Dr. Sharon Circone said. “We have extremely little guidance from Health Canada. This was sprung on us.” – The Arthritis Society is also calling for more research on medical cannabis so people living with arthritis can make informed choices about their treatment and doctors have evidence-based information before authorizing use. – *** & Our Editor/Reporter, Jim W, reported earlier this year than a New Brunswick farmer with a medical condition reported to the CBC that he had been told that it would be illegal for him to continue growing his own, and was told that he would now have to pay $20,000.00 a year through approved channels to receive what he was basically growing himself for free. He can’t afford that. & We also commented that it looks like the greedy hands of government figured out they could extort tons of money from suffering medical patients before they decided that it might be a good idea to legalize medical marijuana. *** At last notice, law officials and government ‘authorities’ were backing off and not enforcing the “Thou Shalt Not Grow Thine Own!” provisions until further notice. —djo— }

Some of the 20 puppies found in a field by a hunter scoping out areas to hunt for moose.

“Most Viewed”

Battlefords Human society busy after hunter finds 20 puppies in field near Glaslyn { *See Photo * – On Friday, Greg Zubiak was having a look around the field near Glaslyn where he plans to hunt moose this year when he saw some movement in the distance. – “As I walked up, they all just kind of looked at me and I guess my moose hunt was over. I just said, ‘OK, come on,’ and as soon as I said that, they all come running to me,” he said. – He counted 20 puppies left in the field. – “I saw two puppy heads sticking out and the rest of them had their heads buried in each other,” he said. – Zubiak says he knew some of the 20 puppies, who range in age from approximately 3 to 6 weeks old, apparently needed some extra warmth after being left out in the field, apparently left with just a blanket. *** So he took off his jacket and made them a nest in the front of the box of his truck. —djo— }

Keurig’s coffee supremacy challenged by Canadian firm { “A Canadian company is leading a pack of challengers that intend to knock off the exclusive features of the Keurig 2.0 single-serve coffee-maker. – Keurig released its 2.0 model in August, with a feature that initially prevented consumers from using other brands of coffee pods. –

“- “We cracked the code,” a smiling John Pigott, CEO of Club Coffee, told CBC News. The Toronto company made news this week with its $600-million lawsuit against Vermont-based Keurig, which alleges anti-competitive behaviour. – “And we’ve pointed other companies in the right direction on how to do it,” he added. – Some consumers had expressed anger and even launched lawsuits over Keurig’s plan to ensure that only its licensed K-cups would work in the new model. Less expensive off-licence coffee pods have been available for two years, but would be locked out from the wildly popular 2.0 model. – Now a number of companies say their pods will function in the 2.0 model. ” —djo— }

Search for Malaysian Airlines MH370 to resume with new underwater equipment { }

Manjusha’s Match chronicles mom’s search for stem cell donor { }

-Point Of View- How to fix Question Period: Michael Enright { }

Cost to rebuild Gaza estimated at $4B { * How much would it cost to rebuild America’s pristine wilderness if some legal authority found us guilty of stealing our country from the sovereign people who were here before us and ordered us to return this continent to its natural state? *** Or, imagine that the state of New York invaded New Jersey and bombed the heck out of the place, and the rest of the U.S.A. came to New Jersey’s aid and soundly beat the New Yorkers- then demanded they pay to rebuild all the infrastructure they’d obliterated. How much would that cost? —djo— }

Brazilians voting in nail-biter election for president { }

Police officer nearly killed in 2012 crash runs 76 kilometers { }

Fords used City of Toronto resources for campaign, says ex-mayoral candidate { }

-Must Watch- Ebola fight on the frontlines { }

-Must Watch- A sick father’s plea to ISIS { * This may be an honest and sincere report- but I’m remembering the impassioned ‘eye witness account’ of Saudi Arabian babies being removed from incubators and placed on the floor to die by Iraqi soldiers – that turned out to be a cold hearted lie and the ‘eye witness’ was the daughter of a Saudi ambassador who had been nowhere near the hospital. You pull stuff like that once too often and you have lost your credibility, guys- —djo— }

Recounts in New Brunswick confirm election night results { “With just two days to go before the swearing in of the Liberal government in New Brunswick, the final recount in the province is done. – The hand counts were ordered after questions were raised about the accuracy of the electronic tabulation system. – Seven ridings in total were given a second count. – Elections New Brunswick says judges from the Court of Queen’s Bench have confirmed the wins by Liberal candidates in the ridings of Carleton-Victoria, Shippagan-Lameque-Miscou, Saint John Harbour, Saint John East, Charlotte-Campobello and Fredericton North. – The Progressive Conservatives were confirmed as winning the riding of Fredericton-Grand Lake. – Friday night votes – Two seats were recounted in Saint John on Friday. – Judges upheld the wins by Ed Doherty, in Saint John Harbour, and Gary Keating, in Saint John East. – On election night, the use of an untested software by Elections New Brunswick to transmit results recorded through the automated vote-counting tabulator system saw vote counts stall and then appear to drop before finally concluding. – The resulting confusion and delays meant it was about five hours after the polls closed before Elections New Brunswick could declare Brian Gallant’s Liberals had won a majority government. – After the confusion, the Progressive Conservatives applied for recounts in six ridings and the People’s Alliance asked for one. ” — * And yesterday it was reported that in one ‘riding’ five votes had been miscounted by the electronic tabulator. —djo— }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above. ———djo——— }

=======================

Kenojuak Ashevak’s The Enchanted Owl, created in 1960, was featured on a Canadian stamp and has permeated Canadian culture. (West Baffin Eskimo Co-Operative Ltd./National Gallery of Canada)

Hong Kong police arrest gang members as protests turn ugly { * I wouldn’t doubt that some of the uglies were planted there by anti-democracy government agents. —djo— }

U.K. PM says will use ‘all assets we have’ against ISIS { * & Earlier this morning, Jim W sent me email saying that last night on the radio he heard ‘credible sources’ explain that the “Khorsan group” that our President Obama announced was targeted and bombed for issuing threats against U.S. citizens inside the U.S.A. was a made-up name for a group that was protecting Syrians from both ISIS and Syrian Government troops, might have been good guys that bad guys in the U.S. government or shadow government took out as a favour to Bad Guy Syrian President Assad in order to secure permission to bomb alleged ISIS hot spots inside Syria. This gets stranger all the time. We may be bombing good guys that Syrian intelligence tells us are ISIS guys- Doing other bad guys a favor while they laugh at us. —djo— }

Canada commits to 6-month combat mission against ISIS { }

-Almost Redundant?- Standoffs get ugly at Hong Kong democracy protests { *Why don’t we call them ‘demonstrations’? Does anybody in the main stream know whether these Hong Kong people are there demonstrating for or against anything? We’ve heard rumours about both, including the one that this whole ‘umbrella revolution’ might actually be a rent strike. Does the TRUTH stand a chance in today’s messed up world of lies, deceit, propaganda and media manipulation? —djo— }

-Analysis- Markets move both ways, so don’t poke the bear: Don Pittis { * I think I like Don Pittis. Judgement still reserved- There’s a bear in a tightly cropped photo on the main CBC news page. -But not on the page where the actual full length article lives. Dang- I would have liked to have that bear in one of our copied and pasted graphics today. —djo— }

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“Offbeat”

Montreal ‘ball of light’ mystery deepens { See photo up at the top —djo— }

‘Incredible Hulk’ star sworn in as honorary constable in Hamilton { Lou Ferrigno – Yeah, cops would like to turn green and grow about twice their size and hope to get away with busting heads of anyone who looks at the funny. Sound like junior high school b.s. to you? —djo— }

Route 66’s singing road { }

Tumblr hosts ‘Mean Girls Day’ art show { }

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“Most Viewed”

Iconic ‘Wait For Me, Daddy’ WWII photo unveiled as sculpture today { The statue will have been unveiled at 11:00 am pacific time in New Westminster, BC – Don’t know if I will be finished by then —djo— }

Dallas Ebola case: Family moves from apartment where patient stayed { * & I read a tweet that said that U.S. officials got word from ‘remote viewers’ that this would happen In Dallas with the correct date – they got the intelligence 6 months ago and let it happen anyway. They want you to be anxious, and therefore highly manipulate-able —djo— }

-Hong Kong standoffs getting ugly repeated here- { Gaaaa! }

Doug Ford calls debate audience ‘ignorant’ { }

Granville Gardens seniors complex gutted by massive fire { }

Shooting in Consort leaves 3 dead { }

Low dollar could hurt high-flying Albertans, economist says { }

-19 photo slide show- Hong Kong police clash with protesters in historic standoff { *Why call them ‘protesters’? Because that raises a nastier image than ‘demonstrators’? Is the CBC as slanted and controlled as U.S. media? —djo— }

-Blog- Mean Girls Day gets its own art show on Tumblr { }

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Other:

The quest for E.T.? Canada helps in search for signs of life beyond Earth { * Maybe we should look for intelligent life here first? —djo— }

-New- 12 pro-Russian rebels killed in fight for Ukrainian airport { }

5 things Stephen Harper told us about Canada’s ISIS fight { * How do we know if anything he says is true? —djo— }

Canada should speak out on Hong Kong protests, ex-ambassador says { * I’m speaking out- is there anyone we can trust to tell us what is going on? Who is behind it and who is opposed and what is their opposition doing? Are the demonstrators demonstrating pro-democracy or anti-high rent prices? Who is pulling our strings and what are they trying to get us to do? —djo— }

Bees, birds may suffer long-term consequences from common pesticides { * Does anybody remember “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson? And is some evil ice-hole deliberately trying to kill off the birds and bees? Public dismemberment might be too soft a punishment for somebody like that – IF it is true. —djo— }

Canadian man caught trying to smuggle 1,007 turtles to China { * And, recently we thought it was weird when somebody taped 51 turtles to his body and tried to smuggle them into Canada? ***Today’s theme: “It gets weirder all the time.” Or is that ‘more weird’? —djo— }

-Technology & Science- How hackers are breaking through the Great Firewall of China { }

-Technology & Science- Physical labels no longer required for smartphones, wearable devices { “Under new rules, high-tech devices with a non-removable screen, like Google Glass, can carry required information such as serial numbers on an e-label instead of a physical label.” * But how about the warning labels, like ‘Warning, wearing these glasses may blast way too much deadly radiation into your eye-bulbs and fry your brain!’ & um, not just the glasses. Cell phones might cause health problems. L.E.D. screens on ‘smart’ phones might be blinding anyone who uses them. Heck, My eyesight has gotten really bad since I started buying L.E.D. backlit monitors. —> I’m writing this on a good old LCD screen whose colours looked strange when I went back to it last month<— —djo— }

-Technology & Science- Water on earth found to be older than the Sun { * So I guess the big bang might be in question, or maybe -not everything began with the same big bang? Somebody’s going to have fun investigating this one. —djo— }

-Technology & Science- Apple iPad event expected Oct. 16 { * Should I worry about what they mean by ‘event’? Will a Steve Jobs clone turn on an iPad in front of half a zillion cameras and cause the extinction of a thousand star systems? —djo— }

Liberal Andrew Harvey’s win confirmed in Carleton-Victoria { “Recounts are underway today in New Brunswick after questions were raised about the accuracy of the electronic tabulation system election night. – So far, the manual counting has confirmed the Liberal win in Carleton-Victoria. The winner remains Andrew Harvey, who gained two votes. – Runner-up, Colin Lockhart, gained three votes, but the result is unchanged. – Recounts are also taking place in Woodstock, Bathurst, St. Andrews and Fredericton-Grand Lake. – On election night, the use of an untested software by Elections New Brunswick to transmit results recorded through the automated vote-counting tabulator system saw vote counts stall and then appear to drop before finally concluding.” * I believe Andrew Harvey was the candidate who was charged with fraud over an investigation of a firm that he was a board member for – and then after a couple “Hey, now, the timing on this sounds suspicious” articles, the charges were dropped. *** I’d still like to know the results from recounting all the questioned ‘ridings’s results’ —djo— }

Seniors’ prescription co-payments questioned { }

Armed robbery in Moncton investigated { }

What should Atlantic Canada’s universities be in the future? { * ‘Above Water’ would be nice, -if any of the climate change forecasts are right and the polar ice caps melt and the seas rise several meters— —djo— }

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This flag was carried by First Nations people demonstrating for action on the issue of missing and murdered First Nations women.

CBC Aboriginal’s top pick for the week, sneak peek of Unreserved { * Okay, a couple days ago we read that a number of tribes objected to the term ‘Aboriginals’ – Why are we still seeing you use that? —djo— }

Nuit Blanche exhibit captures spirit of Northern Ontario First Nations { “A Scottish born photographer will have photographs of the James Bay Coast featured in the Toronto art show, Nuit Blanche, this weekend.” —djo— }

Métis president Robert Doucette threatens court action { }

Simon Awa Nunavut’s new chief negotiator for devolution { }

Chief Tecumseh honoured with turtle shell sculpture { }

{ 3:30 pm, Guys- I’m late with this. I’ll publish now and come back later, check for typos and use the crayons ———djo——— }

A wild pig in Australia is credited with stealing 18 beers from campers, got drunk and picked a fight with a cow? >>—-> From Twitter

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above. ———djo——— }

=======================

Kenojuak Ashevak’s The Enchanted Owl, created in 1960, was featured on a Canadian stamp and has permeated Canadian culture. (West Baffin Eskimo Co-Operative Ltd./National Gallery of Canada)

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Lead Articles:

-Analysis- How ISIS and Syria drove a stake through the Arab Spring: Nahlah Ayed { }

Could Ebola vaccine delay be due to an intellectual property spat? { -Wouldn’t it be a son of a gun if badly needed vaccine was withheld because some corporation was afraid it might lose a couple dollars over ‘intellectual property’ issues?- If that’s really what’s going on here. —djo— }

-Blog- Caffeinated underwear won’t help you lose weight, U.S. government confirms { }

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The mural by graffiti artist Bansky featured pigeons holding up signs directed at a more colourful bird. One banner reads ‘migrants not welcome’, while another reads ‘keep off our worms’. (Banksy.co.uk/AP Photo)

-Business- Hard-hit loonie getting vote of confidence from central banks { “The Loonie” is the Canadians’ own nickname for their one dollar coin, which features a loon, usually casually floating in place, on an implied lake. In at least one year’s special edition the loon taking off into flight. }

-Business- Falling oil prices drive down TSX again { }

-Business- U.S. Sears dumps stake in Sears Canada { }

-Business- U.S. energy giant NRG buys Toronto-based solar firm { }

-Business- 23andme genetic testing service raises ethical questions { Some people fear that governments might some day reveal that their dna is copyrighted or somehow become the ‘property’ of that government and then either tell its citizens that they cannot legally reproduce or dictate who they can and cannot reproduce with. —djo }

-Technology & Science- Hong Kong protests: China may be spying with smartphone apps { I mentioned yesterday that smartphone apps that the demonstrators were using were described as having apotential security problem. Looks like I might have been correct. }

-Technology & Science- Google announces project to get Canadian kids coding { Google, after Wikileaks leaked information that the company is spying on everybody and turning information over to agencies like the NSA etc, wants to train your kids to be good little cyber spies? }

-Community- Facebook apologizes to drag queens over ‘real name’ policy { *Facebook’s chief product officer has apologized to drag queens, transgender people and others in the LGBTQ community because its real-name policy caused their accounts to be shut down. -In a post on the social networking site, chief product officer Chris Cox extends his apology to “members of the LGBT community for the hardship that we’ve put you through in dealing with your Facebook accounts over the past few weeks.” – Last month, Facebook announced that its users would be mandated to use their legal names on profiles and suspended the accounts of userswho didn’t comply. -Many of the drag performers and others whose accounts were disabled pledged to leave Facebook and join an emerging social media site called Ello.* —djo—}

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“Local / New Brunswick”

David Alward’s Tory deputy ministers face unclear future { }

NB Power eues cheaper refurbishment plan for Mactaquac dam { }

Moncton rooming house shut down by fire marshal { }

FIFA Moncton visit overshadowed by turf war { }

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“First Nations”

Inuit Artist Kenojuak Ashevak was honoured by Google with this doodle on what would have beeh her 87th birthday.

Kellie Leitch announces $1.1M to prevent cyberviolence against women, girls { “The federal government is spending $1.1 million to fund eight new projects to combat cyberbullying against women and girls, Status of Women Minister Kellie Leitch announced today.” —djo— }

McMaster Hospital defends court action to treat aboriginal girl { “McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton is defending its plan to separate an aboriginal girl with cancer from her family so she can resume chemotherapy.” —djo— }

Federal government to stop funding payments to Sask. Metis { “The federal government says it is going to stop funding Metis Nation-Saskatchewan. – A letter dated Wednesday from Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt said the group failed to hold an assembly by the end of September “due to ongoing internal governance issues.” – He said the group was required to do so under its funding agreement. – All payments are to be halted Nov. 1. – “It is my hope that Metis Nation-Saskatchewan finds a way to effectively and efficiently give the Metis people of Saskatchewan the governance that they deserve — one which is transparent, accountable and democratic,” Valcourt wrote in the letter addressed to the Metis group’s president, Robert Doucette. – “I also firmly believe that taxpayer dollars are to be used wisely and for the benefit of all Canadians.” – Calls to the Saskatoon office of Metis Nation-Saskatchewan were not answered. – Protesters picketed last year outside the office calling for Doucette’s resignation. At the time, the group’s vice-president said several council members were concerned about an overhaul of the group’s governance structure and that Doucette was acting secretive.” —djo— }

N.W.T. Tlicho cancel fall caribou hunt, unable to find any { }

Ottawa committee approves rezoning on sacred aboriginal site { “Dozens of people crowded into Ottawa’s planning committee meeting to weigh in on the future of a former industrial site on the Ottawa River in an area considered sacred to First Nations people.” & [*] Ottawa’s Planning Committee unanimously approved a rezoning request for the massive redevelopment of a former industrial site on the Ottawa River considered sacred to First Nations people.

[*] Windmill Development has plans to build condos, shops and offices on the former Domtar lands — a 37-acre property that include Chaudière and Albert Islands, as well as a large piece of shoreline on the Gatineau side of the Ottawa River. – Dozens of people crowded the planning committee meeting to weigh in on how to use the land. – Christopher Wong, a board member of the Odawa Native Friendship Centre, has his own vision, which includes returning the Chaudière Falls to their natural state. – “It would be nice to see the space and to see the falls freed — that would be the ultimate dream, to turn it into a green space, back to its original nature. That would be plan A,” he said. – “But plan B would be to work in partnership with Ottawa and the rest of Canada to make a mutual vision happen together.” – The president of the Fairlea Community Association echoed the need to restore the former industrial site to nature. – “We need a central park for Ottawa and Gatineau,” said Peter Stockdale,. “We’re losing an opportunity just by filling it up with some condos. We’re missing the possibility of restoring the number one tourist destination that the Chaudière Falls used to be.” – The matter will go to city council next week, and to Gatineau City Council later in October.” [* = quoted/copied & pasted. ] —djo— }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above. ———djo——— }

=======================

Walrus Herd On Alaska Beach. This may be a stock photo. A screen capture from the actual video came out too blurry.

Other Sources: The Toronto Star:

CETA a much-announced trade pact of dubious value: { –By:Thomas WalkomNational Affairs, Published on Tue Sep 30 2014 –Free trade with Europe is the centerpiece of Stephen Harper’s time in government. It is so crucial that the prime minister announces it over and over again. -The latest re-announcement came Friday. This time, it was to celebrate the almost final text of what is officially known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the 28-member European Union. -That followed celebrations last year on an agreement in principle. There will undoubtedly be another gala when, after a “legal review” the final, final CETA text is released. – And there may be to 30 more over the next few years if the agreement is successfully ratified by the European Council, the European Parliament and the 28 member nations of the EU, – In ancient times, political rulers marked such victories with human sacrifice and lavish excess. Harper made do by spending a mere $338,000 to fly a gaggle of visiting European bureaucrats back to Brussels on a Canadian government jet. – The pact is far from a done deal. In Europe, the politics of CETA have become enmeshed in the debate over a similar accord being negotiated between the EU and Washington. – Critics fear that a section in CETA allowing companies to override domestic laws could set a precedent for the Americans to exploit. – There is also dispute within the EU over whether such trade and investment deals need to be ratified by all 28 member states. – But let us assume for a moment that the Canada-Europe deal eventually comes into effect. What can we expect? – At first glance, the answer is not much. The government promises 80,000 new net jobs. But as Jim Stanford, an economist with the labour union Unifor has pointed out, this is a bogus number based on the assumption that no one can ever be unemployed. – Expect the price of European luxuries to fall as tariffs are removed. But don’t expect a big job uptick here. – Ottawa says Canadian beef and pork producers will gain better access to European markets thanks to CETA. And perhaps they will. – Yet as a recent analysis from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives points out, the European Union is already a net exporter of pork and beef. – This doesn’t mean there is no appetite in Europe for, say, Canadian pork chops. But unless European farmers are singularly inefficient, it does suggest the market would be limited. – Conversely, a deal with Europe promises to be less disruptive than earlier free trade pacts. – The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement of 1989 and the North American Free Trade Agreement of 1993 virtually wiped out entire domestic industries. – This time, it seems that job losses would be more limited. – With significant exceptions (particularly in Ontario), the new pact would make it near impossible for governments or government agencies to favour locally owned firms. That could affect businesses ranging from school bus operators to caterers. – Canadian cheese makers would be hurt as would domestic automakers. But neither is likely to be destroyed. – The application of European drug patent rules would result in Canadians paying more for their pharmaceuticals. Provincial governments, all of which operate public drug plans, were particularly grumpy about this. But Ottawa has appeased them by offering subsidies. – Trade analyst Scott Sinclair says he expects the provinces will quietly pass laws implementing their CETA obligations. – The real danger in this deal has nothing to do with trade. Rather it is a provision, similar to one enshrined in NAFTA, that would permit corporations to overturn domestic laws. – In effect, CETA includes an investors’ bill of rights aimed at penalizing government actions that interfere with profitability. – European businesses would be able to challenge such actions before a special dispute-settlement board. Irish banks, for instance, could challenge regulations designed to safeguard the Canadian financial system. – European firms could also challenge government regulations that “unduly” complicate or delay business activities. – Theoretically, Canadian companies would have reciprocal rights in Europe. But we don’t have good track record. – Under NAFTA, several U.S. companies have managed to overturn Canadian laws. No Canadian company has ever successfully used that trade pact to override a U.S. law. – Thomas Walkom’s column appears Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. / —***** I asked friends in Canada about the Toronto Star – One friend, who has been helpful in the past, commented that Toronto has a “Sun” newspaper and a “Star” but no “Moon” — Here’s the message: “I used to subscribe to The Star. It’s central/left. Right wingnuts read The Sun. There is no Moon paper, lol. There should be though. It would be nice to have a totally apolitical non-censored newspaper out there.” C.M. Harris. ***** —djo— }

The Demonstrations continue in Hong Kong. Many Protesters are downloading and using “Fire Chat” an app that can connect chatters without an internet or cellular connection. It may have security issues, but it may work if the government shuts down their networks.

{ Is today international anything day? —> Doug, who appreciated international coffee day . }

-Analysis- Harper readying groundwork for Canada’s turn in Iraq: Chris Hall { * 5 / 6 * = *** “You must believe that your government is sending your children off to die in b.s. made up touble spots [ caused by C.I.A. and other covert agencies stirring up hatred, playing ‘divide and conquer’ to manipulate you ] because you must believe that without your government and its military, you are helpless and vulnerable” <—> fascist agenda *** —djo— }

“Guess which of these two is not welcome in Kroger’s Stores” The guy with a scary looking rifle almost ready to fire or the kid with the ice cream cone. = Propaganda campaign designed to prey on your anxieties.

Guns and grocery stores: U.S. supermarket chain draws fire from moms group { I’m willing to bet that the group “Moms Demand Action”, an anti-gun lobby in the U.S.A. is funded by, advised by, manipulated by, or is a front for a group that wants to disarm U.S. Citizens. I should have our reporter / editor Jim W weigh in on this. He was living in Ithaca when I met him. He had a rifle that he’d only used for target shooting. We went to a range together and he was a better shot in those days than I was. He was engaged to a woman from California who was a student at Cornell University up the hill there- And she was terrified of guns. I saw her look like she wanted to crawl backward out of her skin just knowing he owned a rifle that he kept securely locked up in a safe in a spot that almost no one would think to look for it. He decided to sell the rifle, saying he was making the jump to believing that prayer and meditation might be a better defence than keeping a rifle locked up where he probably couldn’t get it in time if there was a real danger anyway. I almost bought it. But he went with a licensed dealer instead. On the way home he admitted that he had been nervous about buying the rifle in the first place. His father had been an abusive, violent alcoholic who was over six feet tall and weighed between two hundred and three hundred pounds all his adult life. Jim said that he worried that, if he’d had a firearm within reach when his father went ballistic and began slapping his mother around, or beat up physically on his younger brother, he may have been extremely tempted to use deadly force. But, as an adult, when he was a good two hundred and fifty miles from his father, who had become disabled, and was confined to a wheel chair for a number of years, Jim told me that when he had the opportunity to buy the rifle, and thought that since he was trying to buy property in the woods where wolves, bears and an occasional big cat might be a real problem, he thought about it hard and long, and realized that he had grown up and was now responsible, and the fact that he examined his issues, and especially since he had not completely lost it when a bully was attacking a woman and he could have swung a metal baseball bat and probably crippled or killed the attacker, but gave the guy a warning and scared him off instead— He said he had realized he had matured and had the self control he needed to accept that he was a responsible adult and would not do anything stupid in the heat of the moment- “Moments don’t get any hotter than when you see some ice-hole who just might kill somebody you know and care about-” Jim left one of his targets from the shooting range, with an impressive cluster near the bulls eye, in the back of his hatch back Newspaper delivery car where anybody could look inside and guess it probably wasn’t a good idea to mess with this guy- And later, after his fiacée broke off the engagement, admitted that wished he hadn’t sold the rifle. But- Okay, I got rambling here- *** Several of my friends, people who do not wear aluminum foil hats to keep evil aliens from controlling their thoughts, believe that the U.S. second ammendment was intended to give the ‘sovereign citizens’ of the U.S.A. the right to defend themselves from all enemies, foreign and domestic, including a government that might lose its way and declare that freedom and free citizenry were enemies of the state. I also know quite a few people who believe that an armed ‘bad guy’ would not pick on a victim who might have a gun or be protected by somebody in a store who might have one. I never want to shoot anybody. I don’t care how dangerous a situation might seem. I mean, if somebody had a knife at my daughter’s throat and I was sure I could kill him with one shot and not miss and hit Rachel- I’d probably do it. But I don’t know how I’d live with that afterward- I could probably give myself PTSD just thinking about it. But I do not want to see the government and police forces become the only people in this country who can legally own fire arms. What’s the first thing an evil totalitatarian regime does when they come to power? They disarm the public. And then programs like the holocaust can happen. Gaaaa- Let’s hope it never comes close to that. *** / long winded again… —djo— } { Anxiety Meter: * 6 / 7 * }

Cold Case: Christine Jessop’s adbuction and death still unsolved 30 years later { * See? You, too, could be abducted and murdered by some random crazy person, even on your way home from school. Anxiety Meter: * 7 / 8 * }

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“Offbeat”

Former Winnipegger’s ‘mean toddler’ video goes ultra-viral { * 7 / 9 * — Unless you become afraid that a toddler might pick up a kitchen knife and do you in while you’re sleeping, or the word ‘viral’ sets off subliminal triggers. —djo— }

Sabre discovery may solve decades-old murder mystery { * 8 / 10 * Under “Most Viewed” this article’s headline is “Sabre from American Revolution found in Guysborough wall” The sabre belonged to a loyalist who fought with a loyalist cavalry in the Carolinas during the Revolution. As an officer he was allowed to keep his sabre. In 1829, a ‘local doctor’ with a bad reputation —who may have stolen property from people he treated— in the Guysborough, Nova Scotia area, was found dead, stabbed multiple times by what was believed to be a sword. One of the original officer’s sons was among those who were charged in the doctor’s death, but charges were dropped? The sabre was found inside the wall of a house which was originally built by a retired sheriff, who may have found the sabre and hidden it inside his wall as a souvenir. *** Hey, somebody in your neighbourhood might secretly own some nasty old murder weapon. Maybe he’ll want to use it on you in the middle of some dark and scary night?*** —djo— }

Snoop Dogg, Jared Leto become Reddit co-owners { Reddit raised $50M in vewnture capital to improve its operations >>—-> * “Things are about to change at Reddit, thanks in part to a large investment from none other than one of the social news site’s biggest fans: Snoop Dogg. -The company announced Tuesday that it has successfully raised $50 million dollars in venture capital funding to improve its operations from investors such as Y Combinator president Sam Altman, PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, American angel investor Ron Conway, and yes, the Big Boss Dogg. – “We’re planning to use this money to hire more staff for product development, expand our community management team, build out better moderation and community tools, work more closely with third party developers to expand our mobile offerings (try our new AMA app), improve our self-serve ad product, build out redditgifts marketplace, pay for our growing technical infrastructure, and all the many other things it takes to support a huge and growing global internet community,” wrote the company in a blog post Tuesday morning. – “We have been entrusted with capital by patient, long-term investors who support our views on difficult issues,” the post continues.”We believe in free speech, self-governing communities, and the power of voting. We find that this freedom yields more good than bad, and we have chosen investors based on this belief.” – Other investors who participated in the funding round include American investor Josh Kushner, entrepreneur Paul Buchheit, Y Combinator founding partner Jessica Livingston, Eventbrite’s Kevin and Julia Hartz, Minted CEO Mariam Naficy, Reddit CEO Yishan Wong and actor Jared Leto. – As the Daily Dot notes, Leto had previously invested in several other tech companies — one of them being a free stock trading app called Robinhood which also secured funding from Snoop Dogg earlier this month. – Snoop, born Calvin Broadus Jr., has backed many business ventures throughout the course of his career, though they have predominantly been in the charity, entertainment, apparel and mobile gaming industries. – Some online have expressedsurprise over the news that Snoop had bought a chunk of Reddit, but to those familiar with the acclaimed rapper’s affinity for the social news site, his investment makes perfect sense.” * Anxiety Meter= 8/11 – unless you have an unreasonable fear that Snoop Dogg might be an evil space-alien agent in disguise or something. —djo— }

China frisks 10,000 pigeons for butt bombs { * 9 / 12 * China released 10,000 doves as part of a ceremony to celebrate their National Day – But first they had the doves searched, intimately checked out – because they’re afraid some anti-government group just might have stuck explosive devices up the birds’ butts. *** Hey, the next pigeon you see may be carrying an atomice bomb up its butt- Ya think?*** —djo— }

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“Most Viewed”

Housing market a bubble set to burst, investment expert says { * 10 / 13 * You might wake up tomorrow and owe half a zillion worthless dollars on a house that isn’t worth a dime? Gee- the bank might kick you out into sub-freezing weather because you don’t have a real old fashion silver dime to buy your worthless home from the evil ice-holes at the bank? —djo— }

White woman sues sperm bank after insemination from black donor { * 11 / 14 * What if your mother was artificially injected with sperm from a psychotic axe murderer? Or evil abducting space aliens who know how to breed psychotic killers? Gee, maybe they can send you a secret message in your dream state and turn you into a zombie assassin who will kill somebody you care about and have you captured on video in the act, so you end up facing the death penalty? And you will have no memory or any of this? But your dna will be all over the murder weapon. ***Sounds like a very early Halloween nightmare plot day here at the old blogging station. *** —djo— }

Harper readying groundwork for Canada’s turn in Iraq { This is the third time this headline has been listed, so maybe this would make it * 13 / 16 * Anxiety-inspiring headlines today. What do you think? —djo— }

U of T is Canada’s only top 20 entry in world university rankings { “U of T” = University of Toronto – Okay, this might be a stretch, but if thinking you may have gotten a sub-standard education makes you feel anxious, this might be * 14 / 17 * }

“Judy Manning, the new minister of Public Safety and Attorney General, says her political connections have nothing to do with her appointment.” Hint – if she tries to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge, don’t buy it.

Judy Manning ‘surprised’ by questions about PC party connections { * “Judy Manning, who was appointed to [ the Newfoundland and Labrador ] cabinet this week with little political experience, is taking exception to questions about her close connections to the Progressive Conservative party. – During an interview with CBC News, Judy Manning, the new minister of public safety and attorney-general, bristled when asked if her unconventional and surprising appointment was influenced by the fact she is the partner of longtime PC supporter Leo Power. – “I’m a little surprised that has come up. Quite frankly, in terms of my predecessors, I don’t recall the media ever approaching any of our previous cabinet ministers or our previous premiers about with whom they were sleeping,” she stated in reply to a question from CBC reporter Chris O’Neill-Yates. – Power started attending PC conventions in the late 1970s, was an aide to former federal Tory minister John Crosbie, and has played senior roles in managing provincial PC election campaigns. While he has never sought office, he’s well-known among party members. –Judy Manning to wait until next election to run for seat – Manning is also the niece of Senator Fabian Manning, a former high profile MHA. –‘Quite frankly, in terms of my predecessors, I don’t recall the media ever approaching any of our previous cabinet ministers or our previous premiers about with whom they were sleeping’– Judy Manning – Manning is also the minister responsible for the status of women, and said such questions “reaffirm for me that I have a significant role also to play under the banner of the status of women.” – She said she was a spirited supporter of Premier Paul Davis in the lead-up to last month’s compelling PC leadership convention, and believes the new premier selected her because he thought she was best for the job, not because of her connections.” * Um, lets see, ** 15 / 18 ** people receiving powerful political appointments, who might be in charge of your public safety, or assuring that the justice department only prosecutes people who deserve to be prosecuted, may have no idea what they’re doing, how this system is supposed to work, or what needs to be done to insure that your rights and freedoms are properly protected. She may have her position because she slept with the right political insider? This might qualify as anxiety-encouraging, * I’m saying the article raises those insinuations, I have no idea what she is like and I wouldn’t accuse her of anything. I’m commenting on the tone of the article. * *** And the CBC is a lot more careful about this kind of thing, like I say in the heading every day, they are probably a lot more honest than most U.S. Media, which are controlled by people you proably would not want to let your sister, or daughter, go out on a date with. *** —djo— }

-22 photo slide show- Hong Kong police clase with protesters in historic standoff { * 17 / 20 * You might suffer PTSD flashbacks next time you turn on your television for the evening news and watch thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators being butchered by machine gun fire from Chinese military personnel trying to ‘maintain order’ – I hope you haven’t listened to any of the fear mongering talk show hosts who have tried to tell you that the yellow peril Chinese Commies might parachute into your nice peaceful neighbourhood any minute now- ***sigh*** —djo— }

-Video- Lena Dunham of Girls: Secrecy is ‘kind of destructive’ { * 20 / 23 * ***Lena Dunham is no stranger to using her own life as fodder for her creative endeavours, most notably in her wildly successful HBO seriesGirls.

– But the 28-year-old TV creator, actor and director can now add another accomplishment to her lengthy, and frequently candid, body of work: She’s now an author. – Dunham’s highly anticipated new book Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned” launched Tuesday in Canada. Like her hit television show, the collection of essays includes Dunham’s outlook on what it’s like to be young and female—including revelations of sexual assault, eating disorders and personal struggles with body image. – In a Canadian radio exclusive interview with Q host Jian Ghomeshi, the outspoken star described the moment she became an open book: – “Probably, like, the minute I started talking,” Dunham said. – “I just never had a comfort with the idea of things that are supposed to be kept secret, and I think from an early age, I found the concept of secrecy kind of destructive.” *** One more reminder that you may be vulnerable to sexual assault, eating disorders or personal struggles with body image. —djo— }

Is China willing to sacrifice Hong Kong’s booming economy? { * 21 / 24 * Is your government willing to pull the financial rug out from under you in order to control you more completely? —djo— }

Khorsan group shows why al-Qaeda us still a force to be reckoned with { * 22 / 25 * Never mind that the C.I.A. is on record for having set up “the List” — The literal translation of ‘al-Qaeda’ is ‘the List’ — of ‘friendly’ jihadist rebels in Afghanistan – that the C.I.A. supplied with money and guns and bombs and stuff to help get the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan. — There might be a terrorist / jihadist under you bed with a bomb wired to his chest. Jeeze, how can you sleep knowing that your son or daughter may be about to be seduced into joining a terrorist organization? Or might be blown up in your own home town by terrorists driven crazy by propaganda and insane promises from lying manipulators who use their anxiety to control them? Wait a minute, people in a high state of anxiety are easy to control — and how many articles in this ‘much-better-than-average’ CBC News Headlines page appear to be designed to increase your level of anxiety? —djo— }

Ebola patient in the U.S. told hospital he was from Liberia — then was sent home { * 23 / 26 * If the terrorists don’t get you, some weaponized disease might? — Weaponized or naturally occuring — here’s another threat – you or your children might catch some incredibly nasty disease and die in agony because your government allows people from ‘certain countries’ to come into your country, your area, your city? Well, heck, we should give our wonderful, caring government the power to lock us all up in our homes and keep those nasty diseases from taking away our quality of life — hey wait a minute, they want us to surrender our quality of life, our freedoms and security in order to feel more secure? What??? Where’s the reset button? What’s going on here? Who is in control? Why are they doing this? —djo— }

Repeat of the U of T article. I won’t call this anxiety raising this time { * 24 / 28 * }

-New- Australian Parliament restricts veil wearers { * 25 / 29 * A whole ethnic group is targetted for suspicion because there are a couple religious fanatics out of hundreds of millions of Muslims. The Prophet, God Bless Him, did not require that women hide their faces and hair. Human men who want complete control over everybody, especially women, put that in place. Now that thousands, maybe hundreds of millions of women have been convinced that they are safe and loved, and ‘Loved by God’ if they keep themselves hidden — are being forced by governments in places they’ve probably moved to in this generation – to rip their protective clothing off and expose themselves to the eyes of people who hate them. Sound like rape to you? —djo— }

-Repeat- White woman sues sperm bank after insemination from black donor { I think I should let this slide this time. – even if the idea that you might not really know who your parents are might raise your anxiety level- It might not send you over the edge into sheer panic. * 25 / 30 * —djo— }

First Nations acquire huge swath of Vancouver land { * 26 / 31 * —I actually believe that First Nations / Native Americans / Aboriginals everywhere – were robbed of their property and should be able to get at least some of it back, should not be herded onto unwanted land and forced into poverty while unethical ice-holes from across the ocean steal their resources and make themselves rich and make the lives of those they stole from even more miserable by parading around with lots of shiny toys and gadgets- and have a history of genocidal policies — who tried to forcefully strip the rich Aboriginal culture from them, made it a crime to speak their languages and practice their religions – Canada’s in a weird situation from U.S. standards. ‘The Crown’ owns all mineral rights to property bought and paid for by its citizens. People can take a walk around their property and find huge gaping holes where prospectors have dug for gold, iron, aluminum, nickle- whatever- and there is nothing they can do about it. In the U.S. if you catch somebody raping your property, you can shoot them. I think you still kill anybody you find in your home in at least most of the U.S.A. I mean, I heard cops say, “If you shoot an intruder, make sure he falls inside your house.” In Canada if you shoot a maniac charging at you with a machine gun, you might end up in jail for unsafe storage of a fire arm or discharging deadly weapons within city limits or any one of a dozen other thought crimes against the crown. BUT— Hey look at this. What if your government decides that the property you worked yourself half to death for isn’t yours any more- “opps, so sad, too bad, get out now! And you better not take anything with you that we don’t approve of!” ? — Some of these anxiety raising headlines should get a higher score than others. I mean, anxiety that somebody might kick your dog isn’t quite as bad as anxiety that your local government’s law enforcement people might decide tomorrow to set you on fire and lie and tell your neighbours you were a know terrorist on their watch list and probably set yourself on fire making a high tech bomb – because some crooked cop wants your property so he can stalk the cute young newly wed next door? Or they might just decide to force you out of property you spent forty years paying for- “because they can”? —djo— }

Jun Lin hid homosexuality from his family, ex-boyfriend tells court { * 27 / 32 * Jun Lin was the Chinese student killed and butchered by Luka Magnotta in a case that’s being tried in court right now in Montreal. Magnotta admitted to that, but says he’s not criminally responsible because he’s nuts, his brain isn’t wired correctly. Just knowing that people who kill and butcher others for no apparent reason, right in the middle of a supposedly civilized town or city- is enough to elevate your adrenaline levels. But what if there’s a sexual angle? What if the potential serial killer next door hates you because you remind him of someone who humiliated him as a child? What if the guy next door wants to kill you and rape your wife? your daughter? your mother? your husband? your son? your dog? your corpse? Well heck — you’re just not safe anywhere, are you? “Dear God! Send Help! Now, Please? -Amen- —djo— }

FireChat lets protesters chat without Wi-Fi, cell service { * um * Okay, the evil bad guys who control the internet connections can’t shut the net down and stop you from calling for help if you have ‘FireChat’ — but wait — The article itself hinted that there might be possible security problems with FireChat – What if the evil empire can hack you when your’re not plugged into the internet, not on a Wi-Fi network, not within range of any cellular towers, get your GPS co-ordinates and swoop in with their black ops super soldiers and either snuff you out like stomping on an ant, or drag you off to a secret black ops prison and torture you through incredible amounts of pain for the rest of your short, and getting shorter, life? *28 / 33 * }

Franklin expedition ship found in Arctic ID’d as HMS Erebus { * um * The background on this story is worrisome. Prime Minister Stephen Harper really wanted to find evidence that Canadians had explored the far north because he’s worried about Russian claims that they ‘own the north pole’ and may have their eyes and greedy little fingers poised to try to steal chunks of Canada and keep them for their own. Are we to believe that there may be problems just over the horizon? Russia might find oil in Canada and declare war after a murderous attack with no warning? Is that what we’re heading toward? Is that what your government wants you to believe might happen? So if you do not surrender all your rights and freedoms right now this instant you might wake up tomorrow morning with a foreign flag flying over your nearest courthouse and dozens of your closest friends hanging dead in the town square? * 29 / 34 * —djo— }

Health Canada bans drug ingredients from 3 factories in India { * 30/35 * “OMG” the Hindu type Indians are trying to poison us now? Or is this a government plot to keep you from having access to drugs that might cure you of diseases that fascist pharmaceutical companies would rather see you die slowly from while paying more than you can afford into their officially approved coffers for pills that might make you a little more comfortable, or not- but surely won’t cure you? —djo— }

U.S. Secret Service chief Julia Peirson resigns amid controversy { * 31 / 36 * Jeeze! If the best equiped, most highly trained security force in the free world can’t properly protect the U.S. President and his home – Can it possibly be safe for anyone anywhere? “Gaaaa!, says djo. —djo— }

-Must Watch- Walrus herd on Alaska beach { * um * “Thousands of walruses swim ashore near Point Lay, Alaska” But in the video they explain that this is due to ‘global warming’ or ‘climate change’ and if the ice all melts, your nearest shoreline might rise and you might wake up under water. -Or not wake up at all? * 33 / 38 * }

-Editor’s Pick- 4 new things we’re learning about Ebola { * 34 / 39 * “North America knows how to contain it, but as Ebola spreads, the political risk grows.” —And millions of Africans who already don’t trust a lot of us, and often with good reason – don’t want to know that North Americans might be keeping their best technology at home, to save their own people, while letting too many Africans die from this disease. —djo— }

-Editor’s Pick- 10 top places to grow old { *35 / 40 * Hey, you, yeah you, reading this. You’re going to grow old and die. I think we might want to raise your anxiety level by reminding you of that, even in an article disguised as a fluff piece that tells you that Canada and Northern Europe are among the ‘top’ places to live while you grow old and die. —djo— }

***** Okay, enough pointing my finger at fear mongering headlines for today? This is taking way too much time. *****

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“Local / New Brunswick”

‘Deadbeats’ in New Brunswick owe $44M in support { But how much has the government extorted in the form of taxes? Taxation without what? If you pay for something and the seller doesn’t deliver, that’s fraud – and the seller can go to jail and is often still obliged to pay you back or deliver goods for payment. right? What do governments promise when they take your tax dollars? Security? They’re delivering anxiety, demand your money back! Services? Garbage removal? A lot of municipalities now charge you for every bag or can of garbage they pick up – some will take two or three before they charge you for everything over that. & This is AFTER you’ve already paid more than enough to cover their expenses. — Jim W told me that while he was broadcasting a local town council meeting in Ontario, he learned that the provincial government threatened to with-hold money it owed the municipality if that municipality did not add new fees and charges that it had never charged its citizens before that, and got along perfectly well without charging them- —djo— }

Traveling memorial to fallen Afghan soldiers arrives in Fredericton { Hey- we have a huge problem with PTSD, there’s an epidemic of veterans committing suicide. I have an idea, lets trigger some more PTSD episodes, remind everybody of the guilt they feel for surviving when their friends didn’t- yeah, yeah, that’s the ticket! — —djo— }

Saint John movie payroll problems continue { Locals who worked as extras in a movie shot last summer in Saint John, New Brunswick, are still awaiting payment – We reported on their last “It’s in the mail” promise, which happened several weeks ago. —djo— }

Recounts granted in 7 ridings { Any way the recounts to September 22nd’s Provincial elections turn out, well >>—-> if you can’t trust your government — ??? —djo— }

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“First Nations”

Marlene Bird attends court in wheelchair to see alleged attacker { At least they used the word “alleged” here – “A woman whose legs had to be amputated following a horrific assault came out to a Prince Albert, Sask., courtroom yesterday to see her alleged attacker.” —djo— }

-Opinion- What’s in a name: Indian, native, aboriginal or indigenous? { “The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs ha​s​ been joined by Anishinabek of Ontario, representing 42 First Nations, in rejecting the name ‘aboriginal.’ But that term and several others have not been easy to shed, writes Don Marks.” —djo— }

‘Caribou Legs’ to go back and complete final stretch { “The Gwich’in runner, known as ‘Caribou Legs,’ will go back and complete the last leg of his run from Vancouver to Whitehorse, after an unexpected snowfall stopped him in his tracks earlier this week.” —djo— }

Former gang member turned rapper paralyzed in attack { }

Tlicho Grand Chief Eddie Erasmus gets $166K a year { This is a case of the tribe deciding how much their chiefs should get: “Of the salaries made public so far, the highest paid chiefs in the Northwest Territories are those in the only region with self-government. – Because they are self-governed, the Tlicho are not required to release the salaries of their leaders under the First Nations Financial Accountability Act. – But their rates of pay are set out in laws they’ve passed, which are publicly available. – Tlicho Grand Chief Eddie Erasmus will collect about $166,000 in pay this year. – Each of the four chiefs will be paid about $130,000, whether it’s Chief Johnny Arrowmaker of Wekweti, population 141, or Clifford Daniels, leader of the more than 2,200 people in Behchoko. – The Tlicho government set the rates of pay for chiefs and other elected members in 2005. – Just four months later, it passed a new law that increased the salaries of the chiefs and the grand chief by more than $40,000 a year. – Then in 2009, the Tlicho government passed a law that made chiefs’ and councillors’ salaries rise with the cost of living, starting four years earlier. – Under the First Nations financial transparency Act, all N.W.T. First Nations without self-government agreements must make the salaries of their chiefs public. – Only seven have done so. – The highest paid chief among them is Dettah Chief Eddie Sangris, who earned $116,000 last year. *** Um, I’m under the impression that reservations in the U.S.A. are treated as sovereign nations within whatever state they’re in. Reservations can sell cigarettes without charging the taxes, including federal taxes, that everybody else has to charge. -maybe it’s a plot to kill native Americans off by letting them smoke too much?- But where, in this so called free world, does one government have the right to demand that money earned by officials of another government be made public? Does claiming that ‘big brother’ is protecting our neighbours from being exploited by possibly crooked officials make it okay? —djo— }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above. ———djo——— }

=======================

Other Sources: The Toronto Star:

CETA a much-announced trade pact of dubious value: { –By:Thomas WalkomNational Affairs, Published on Tue Sep 30 2014 –Free trade with Europe is the centerpiece of Stephen Harper’s time in government. It is so crucial that the prime minister announces it over and over again. -The latest re-announcement came Friday. This time, it was to celebrate the almost final text of what is officially known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the 28-member European Union. -That followed celebrations last year on an agreement in principle. There will undoubtedly be another gala when, after a “legal review” the final, final CETA text is released. – And there may be to 30 more over the next few years if the agreement is successfully ratified by the European Council, the European Parliament and the 28 member nations of the EU, – In ancient times, political rulers marked such victories with human sacrifice and lavish excess. Harper made do by spending a mere $338,000 to fly a gaggle of visiting European bureaucrats back to Brussels on a Canadian government jet. – The pact is far from a done deal. In Europe, the politics of CETA have become enmeshed in the debate over a similar accord being negotiated between the EU and Washington. – Critics fear that a section in CETA allowing companies to override domestic laws could set a precedent for the Americans to exploit. – There is also dispute within the EU over whether such trade and investment deals need to be ratified by all 28 member states. – But let us assume for a moment that the Canada-Europe deal eventually comes into effect. What can we expect? – At first glance, the answer is not much. The government promises 80,000 new net jobs. But as Jim Stanford, an economist with the labour union Unifor has pointed out, this is a bogus number based on the assumption that no one can ever be unemployed. – Expect the price of European luxuries to fall as tariffs are removed. But don’t expect a big job uptick here. – Ottawa says Canadian beef and pork producers will gain better access to European markets thanks to CETA. And perhaps they will. – Yet as a recent analysis from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives points out, the European Union is already a net exporter of pork and beef. – This doesn’t mean there is no appetite in Europe for, say, Canadian pork chops. But unless European farmers are singularly inefficient, it does suggest the market would be limited. – Conversely, a deal with Europe promises to be less disruptive than earlier free trade pacts. – The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement of 1989 and the North American Free Trade Agreement of 1993 virtually wiped out entire domestic industries. – This time, it seems that job losses would be more limited. – With significant exceptions (particularly in Ontario), the new pact would make it near impossible for governments or government agencies to favour locally owned firms. That could affect businesses ranging from school bus operators to caterers. – Canadian cheese makers would be hurt as would domestic automakers. But neither is likely to be destroyed. – The application of European drug patent rules would result in Canadians paying more for their pharmaceuticals. Provincial governments, all of which operate public drug plans, were particularly grumpy about this. But Ottawa has appeased them by offering subsidies. – Trade analyst Scott Sinclair says he expects the provinces will quietly pass laws implementing their CETA obligations. – The real danger in this deal has nothing to do with trade. Rather it is a provision, similar to one enshrined in NAFTA, that would permit corporations to overturn domestic laws. – In effect, CETA includes an investors’ bill of rights aimed at penalizing government actions that interfere with profitability. – European businesses would be able to challenge such actions before a special dispute-settlement board. Irish banks, for instance, could challenge regulations designed to safeguard the Canadian financial system. – European firms could also challenge government regulations that “unduly” complicate or delay business activities. – Theoretically, Canadian companies would have reciprocal rights in Europe. But we don’t have good track record. – Under NAFTA, several U.S. companies have managed to overturn Canadian laws. No Canadian company has ever successfully used that trade pact to override a U.S. law. – Thomas Walkom’s column appears Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. / —djo— }

Aerial Photo of Hong Kong, showing the scope of the “Umbrella Revolution” protests.

{ Is today international anything day? —> Doug, who appreciated international coffee day . }

=======================

Lead Articles:

-Analysis- Echoes of Tiananmen [ Square ] in Hong Kong’s ‘most civil’ disobedience: Patrick Brown { “Last week, a Chinese court sentenced a human rights advocate to life in prison and confiscated all his assets, leaving his family destitute. In Hong Kong, meanwhile, a detained student protester was released on a writ of habeas corpus. That’s what’s at stake in these demonstrations, Patrick Brown writes. Echoes of Tiananmen in Hong Kong’s ‘most civil’ disobedience.” —djo— }

Honk Kong protesters call for territory leader to resign { }

U.S. health officials confirm 1st Ebola case in Dallas { }

PM to brief caucus as he mulls expanded Iraq mission { }

Renowned Quebec skier J.P. Auclair dies in Chile avalanche { }

‘Deadbeat’ parents across Canada owe $3.7B in support { }

-Update- ‘Well-being’ of girl focus of search after witness sees man take her into B.C. woods { “Police and search-and-rescue volunteers began scouring the fields and woods adjacent to an industrial area in Abbotsford, B.C., on Tuesday night after a driver reported seeing a young girl lying on the side of the road, and a man taking her away.” —djo— }

-New- MSF ramps up in Liberia as UN sets ambitious Ebola target { “MSF” is the french translation for the title of “Doctors Without Borders” — -The UN mission dealing with the Ebola response has set bold goals to try and contain the outbreak, but in Liberia’s capital, medical providers like Doctors Without Borders are working flat out just to keep up. Nurse Tashan Bremond says it’s not all bad news: “We’re telling them they can be survivors.”- —djo— }

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“Wild Chimp dips moss sponge in water, drinks from it- learned trick from its mother” & is now all the rage—

“Offbeat”

Wild chimp’s gadget kicks off new trend within his group { }

What’s cooler than cool? This french horn OutKast cover { }

-Repeat- Dragons’ Den judge’s Porsche goes up in flames { }

-Repeat- The quotable George Clooney { }

*** Must be a slow week for offbeat news ***

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“Most Viewed”

AC/DC giutarist Malcolm Young has dementia, band confirms { }

Topsail soccer stabbing victim now conscious, talking { }

Tom Mulcair’s EU trade deal choice could signal election strategy { *Tom Mulcair said he’d wait to see the fine print of the Canada-EU trade deal before passing judgment. – Now that the full text of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement is out, the NDP leader is walking a fine line between his party’s competing interests. – ** Exclusive: PM gives pricey free ride home to EU leaders – Harper confident as final EU trade deal released – Analysis: Celebrating a trade deal that hasn’t been sealed – Interactive: The EU-Canada deal -** – The NDP will discuss the deal in caucus Wednesday morning. – The first vote in the House of Commons on CETA is weeks — perhaps months — away, depending on how quickly International Trade Minister Ed Fast brings forward legislation to implement it. – But the Conservatives already know how they want to frame the NDP. – Take Monday’s question period. When the NDP criticized the expensive plane ride the Harper government provided EU leaders last Friday, Fast suggested New Democrats couldn’t be expected to see the importance of the business event that justified the expense. – “They wanted us to cancel this event because we know they are anti-trade, anti-investment and have no credibility on trade whatsoever,” Fast said. – Ready to govern or oppose? – Mulcair has been rolling out policy planks this fall designed to appeal to traditional NDP voters in 2015. – A recent speech to the Teamsters talked about protecting workers and going after corporate “freeloaders.” He has floated the idea of a $15 an hour minimum wage for federal workers. – Will his stand on CETA also tack toward’s the party’s traditional, trade-deal-wary flank to make sure it stays put? – Or will that impulse give way to a more pragmatic need to support a deal most of Canada’s business community really wants? – Opposing CETA would be a step back from Mulcair’s recent more open approach to the merits of trade deals. – After the death of Jack Layton in 2011, Mulcair’s pitch for the party leadership was based on continuing Layton’s legacy of targeting voters in the centre of the political spectrum and working hard to look like a government-in-waiting. – The NDP supported Canada’s agreement with Jordan and, more recently, its new agreement with South Korea. It also makes warm noises about negotiating with Japan, India and Brazil. – “We want to knock down non-tariff barriers. We think that more trade is a good thing for Canada,” Mulcair told The Canadian Press last year. – “It’s a good starting point to be dealing with Europe,” he said in that interview and repeated in the months since. “They generally speaking have institutions quite similar to ours, they have the rule of law, they have independent tribunals, they’ve got long-standing institutional stability. That is a good thing for us to be dealing with.” – In principle, a deal with Europe was the kind of “fair trade” the NDP could safely embrace. – –Conditional support– -But the NDP also put down markers for its potential support of CETA, including help for cheese producers facing competition from new imports and provincial governments and consumers who will have to pay more for prescription drugs when patent changes take effect. – The NDP also says municipal procurement changes should protect “buy local” programs, to address the concerns of more than 50 local city, town and regional councils that have passed anti-CETA resolutions. – With growing concern in Germany in particular about investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms in the deal, the NDP jumped on that bandwagon, too. – Mulcair said Friday he was “reticent” about the deal. – But he and his trade critics have been clear they aren’t necessarily opposing it, even as they criticize the Harper government’s handling of the file. – Saying the NDP will “consult widely and understand thoroughly” buys them time.* ***The article at the top of this page on CETA was tweeted by Elizabeth May, the head of the Green Party of Canada and I think it’s a safe bet she is not in favor of this Economic Treaty*** The snarky blatherings of Conservative Party Parrots on the floor of the House = They’re accusing the NDP of having no idea about how trade should work. How about I accuse the Conservatives of knowing how trade works while they pocket the profits of selling thirty million something plus Canadians out to forces who would love to kill and eat everybody and do not have one ounce of compassion or empathy and just want to have the power of life and death over everybody, including the brain dead Conservatives who believe they will come out of this on the very fat side of ‘rich rich rich’? —djo— }

Race into space opening new horizons to private sector { Do you believe this is a good thing? The Space race in the sixties ‘gave us alot of technological advances’ in electronics, computers, surveillance, high tech weapons for cops to use on civilians, MK Ultra- maybe even secret deals between evil human dark ops types who want total control over everybody and everything and evil dark aliens who would be happy to allow those human evil dark ops morons to embrace the illusion that they have allies in outer space, until the aliens spring the final trap- & make the planet hostile to human life and move in and take over? —> Yawn, that was a stupid bad movie plot the first time I heard about it—> Corporations are Not Good. Corporations with the ability to leave the planet while controlling everything and everybody might even be worse. But at least we’re talking about it. Right? —djo— }

ISIS fight: Stephen Harper to brief Conservative caucus on options { How’s this for an option? : We hypnotize Stephen Harper and convince him that he’s Rambo, dress him up in camoflaged fatiques with an American flag patch on one shoulder and a Canadian flag patch on the other- Hand him a parachute and drop him in the middle of an ISIS training camp with “I am a spy for the great satan” written all over him in perfect Arabic- whatever dialect most of them can read. Then have a lot of drones send us live video of whatever happens next. That might just solve a lot of problems. —djo— }

Canada’s blood supply ‘critically low’ { }

RCMP pulls support from anti-radicalization handbook { * Does this mean they have a pro-radicalization handbook in mind? Or did they realize that by some definitions, they’re pretty radical themselves and might find their mindset illegal if enough people read the handbook they were backing? }

Stop meddling in wireless market, Telus tells CRTC { * & Government watch dog agencies have been taking orders from corporations for how long now? Is it a good thing that they are seen to be doing this in full daylight? In public? —djo— }

-Must Watch- Hong Kong protests: Do you hear the people sing? { *Images from the protests set to a Hong Kong quintet performing the song from Les Miserables* —djo— }

-Editor’s Pick- 5 things to know about Hong Kong’s ‘umbrella revolution’ { *** & Yesterday on the Keiser Report “:Minsky Moment in Global Economy (E660)” In which Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert were discussing the ‘Hong Kong riots’, which they said could be the next ‘Minsky Moment’ in’ the global financial ponzi scheme’ -They talked about what we’ve been told is a peaceful demonstration in favour of democracy. Keiser and Herbert were calling it an ‘Affordable Rent Riot’. Am I on the same planet they are? Did I wake up in the same ‘parallel dimension’ I went to sleep in? Are we still dreaming? Are there a couple of us dreaming the same dream? Or are we all off in our little nightmares, feeding some alien battery system with our human energy? Is there a “Neo” out there? Can we wake ourselves up? Can we call on what we have been told were ‘Angels’? Can we call out to the the Light that might be able to keep us all alive and close enough to sane to fake it from here? “HELP!” -Amen // —djo— }

-Editor’s Pick- What you need to know to protect yourself [ from Ebola? ] { *Person-to-person contact is riskiest* >>—-> Become a Hermit and wear a space suit. Stop breathing, don’t eat, don’t drink, — in a week or so you won’t have to worry about Ebola? “Wash hands before masking” *** My brain hurts. My soul hurts. Why are we putting up with these morons who are trying so hard to convince us they should be our ‘leaders’?*** —djo— ***** Having a rough morning in Ithaka, you can probably tell.***** }

-Blog- Sexual consent app ‘Good2Go’ takes the guesswork out of hooking up { * Until a five year old figures out how to hack it and sends zillions of rapists after everybody?* —djo— }

-Canada- Lock up chronic runaways to keep them safe: Winnipeg police officer { *It figures, trust a cop to actually believe that him taking control of you is in everybody’s best interest.* —djo— }

-Politics- NDP motion to reform QP defeated despite Tory backbench support { “QP” = Question Period. *At least Tom Mulcair and the New Democratic Party tried to help fix a couple problems that have been occuring during question period.* —djo— }

-Business- Ford ads 1,000 jobs to Oakville, Ont. plant { *Hey! I think I actually found some good news here- Should I pinch myself?* —djo— }

Progressive Conservatives seek recounts in 6 ridings { “New Brunswick’s Progressive Conservatives are seeking recounts in six ridings “to restore faith in the democratic process,” says party president Jason Stephen. – The ridings in question include: Saint John East, Saint John Harbour, Charlotte-Campobello, Carleton-Victoria, Shippagan-Lamèque-Miscou, and Fredericton North. – “This is not partisan politics,” Stephen told reporters after filing papers at the Saint John Law Courts on Tuesday, the deadline to request a judicial recount.” Kris Austin of the People’s Allaince Party also filed for a recount in the district/riding he ran in. —djo— }

UNB faculty awarded 12.5% increase by arbitration award { *UNB faculty had been very upset after somebody leaked the increase that the head of the university received compared to what they got, before the arbitration happened. —djo— }

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“Aboriginal”

-New- First Nations girl’s family rejects chemo, hospital goes to court to force treatment { “Lawyers from the McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton have gone to court in an attempt to force a First Nations girl back into chemotherapy, but her mother says the judicial system has no authority over her child’s treatment.” —djo— }

Squamish Nation members demand financial report after manager removed { “Some members of the Squamish Nation are calling for greater fiscal transparency in the wake of revelations that a band councillor has been removed from her management position following an independent financial investigation.” —djo— }

Northern Saskatchewan school excelling in ‘mathletics’ { “Many schools in Saskatchewan strive for success in athletics. But Father Porte Memorial School on the Black Lake Dene Nation is making a name for itself in mathletics. – The school has a web-based math program. The grade seven class is currently ranked in the top five in Canada. – Principal Steven Thatcher has seen improvements in marks and attitudes towards math. – “No confidence, kids were having a rough time. Now with mathletics, they succeed so when they succeed they get more self confident and you can just see their math scores just getting a lot better,” he said.” —djo— }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above. ———djo——— }

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European Offshore Wind Power.

{ Is today international anything day? —> Doug, who appreciated yesterday as international coffee day . }

-Repeat- Free house up for grabs in Ottawa’s Manor Park — but there’s a catch { * You’d have to move to house and that would cost ‘tens of thousands of dollars’. If nobody takes it- the owners will bulldoze it down and cart it away to landfills & build themselves a new house on sight. They think it’s cheaper to get rid of this house and build a new one in its place than pay for the upgrades they want for their house as it is. —djo— }

-Repeat- Man who raised $55K for potato salad throws party { * As a joke, an Ohio, USA, man went to “Quick-start” to raise $10.00 to buy ingredients for potato salad. He raised $55,000 and threw a party for charity with loads of potato salad on the menu. —djo— }

Justin Trudeau gets apology from Sun Media { Elsewhere it says “Sun Media apologizes for Ezra Levant’s on-air rant”. & Last week we noted that 3 top staffers at Sun Media’s new or proposed news channel get their orders directly from the current Prime Minister’s Office. —djo— }

6-year-old left in car with rifle, shoots through door { 3 children left in a car while parents went into a house. The 6-year-old was the oldest, fired the rifle that shot through the driver’s side door. Nobody got hurt. The father was slapped with a slew of charges. —djo— }

Apartment hunters targeted by Gander rental scam { A central Newfoundland couple are being accused of pocketing money, renting space they don’t own and was already occupied. —djo— }

Tracy Morgan partly to blame for crash injuries: Walmart court filing { Actor Tracy Morgan and other people riding in a limosine that was struck from behind in New Jersey by a Walmart comany vehicle weren’t all wearing seatbelts, so Walmart thinks they’re to blame for their own injuries? Corporations = Not Good. Walmart = Not Good. Here in the States, it is very hard to defend against an accident being the fault of anyone hit from behind. At least it was. If Walmart gets away with this we may need to re-write a law or two, and if that doesn’t work, we may need a little bit of Heavenly Help here, in real earth time? Okay Guys? -Amen —djo— }

Hong Kong leader says Beijing won’t back down in face of protests { Well, then Beijing will lose face. Question: will that bother Beijing? —djo— }

-Analysis- 3 ways to help Speaker crack the whip in question period { Question: Is Speaker cracking whip a good thing? Are there checks and balances in place to keep things fair and honorable? —djo— }

Universities under pressure to combat sexual misconduct on campus { There should be obvious deterrents everybody can use. Why is nobody seeing that? —djo— }

Men’s rugby club suspended at Dalhousie after hazing complaint { We’re supposedly moving into a better space in the galaxy, a better atmosphere all around for all humanity. Let’s hope the hazing and misconduct rising to our consciousness is symptomatic of the bad old ways coming into the light and being banished from what everybody sees as ‘boys being boys’ and moved into the “Absolutely Unacceptable Behaviour” column. —djo— }

Visa issues for Russians, Chinese hamper major space conference in Toronto { * Okay, what we need is a completely neutral venue. A huge, safe, conference center on a floating platform at sea, beyond all national borders, where everybody has a stake in maintaining peace and prosperity and nobody wants to blow everybody else up over any stupid issue that nobody can remember from thousands or millions of years ago. I can dream, can’t I? —djo— }

Are smartphones ruining wedding ceremonies? { * Why not? They’re ruining your health, spying on you, sending information to unethical people about everywhere you go and everything you do and everyone you meet. Too many people can’t leave their jobs and go home at the end of their shifts without needing to be ready to answer job related b.s. on their phones all evening and night. Can we do anything to make smartphones our friend? Or should we just smash them all under steamrollers somwhere? —djo— }

‘Great end to what could have been a tragic story’ 7 saved after fishing boat flips { }

-Editor’s Pick- Wikileaks founder Julian Assange tackles Google, dispels health rumours { — In an exclusive Canadian broadcast interview with CBC Radio’s Q with Jian Ghomeshi, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange accuses Google of being “in bed” with the U.S. government for allegedly spying on him and because of the way it collects personal data. – He also talks about how it feels to be vilified, his health and the personal toll of being holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for the past two years fearing extradition and, possibly, prison. – “I’m pretty hard to kill. And I come from a very long-lived family line,” said Assange, who had been rumoured to be in deteriorating health. – The Australian internet publisher, who released a trove of U.S. diplomatic and military documents in 2010, fled to the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was to face questioning over allegations of sexual assault and rape, allegations that he denies.

– “He fears, he has said, that if he were to be extradited to Sweden he would then be handed over to the U.S. where he would be tried for one of the largest leaks of government information in U.S. history, leaks that some critics have said put national security and people’s lives at risk. – “In some ways, the conflict that has come about as a result is not altogether unwelcome, but it’s not something that my children, for example, signed up for,”Assange said. “So that’s really the greatest irritation.” – Assange, speaking from the embassy via phone, said the attacks on his character are just part of the nature of things of being a publisher and “infuriating big powers.” – “We’ve had many of those over eight years. I’m used to them to a degree. The size of the counterattacks that started in late 2010, they pushed the organization right to the very edge but we have lived through it.” — —djo— }

-Business- Solar and wind energy getting more cost competitive, study finds { * What I don’t like, is the idea that Wind and Solar power will only become available to the vast majority of us when some major corporation finds a way to overcharge everybody and keep us all in virtual slavery to the corporations as long as possible. corporations = not good. —djo— }

-Technology & Science- Beluga whale population in St. Lawrence on ‘catastrophic’ path { * Edgar Cayce told us that the dinosaurs had to go when they became a threat to all other life on this planet. Are we becoming the next threat to all other life on this planet? —djo— }

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“Local / New Brunswick”

Sue Stultz’s election sign with Moncton firefighters sparks concern { “Moncton is reviewing policies to ensure city departments remain neutral in future election campaigns. – A controversial election sign featuring Moncton firefighters put up by Progressive Conservative candidate Sue Stultz in the final days of the campaign is still raising questions about the neutrality of city departments during campaigns.” —djo— }

&& It looks like You can watch local news and weather from the CBC in 30 minute videos available under “Must Watch” on all or most local pages.

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“Aboriginal”

Rare Treaty Four medal returns to Sask. First Nations { }

Greenland [ orca ] butchering in photo posted on Facebook { “Inuit in eastern Greenland have been hunting more killer whales as climate change leaves the area free of ice longer, says a Dane who recently posted a photo on Facebook of a hunter butchering a whale. —djo— }

Morris Home Hardware owner sorry for not honouring tax exemption { “The owner of a Home Hardware store in Ottawa has apologized to a First Nations woman for refusing to accept her Indian status card for a provincial sales tax exemption earlier this month.” —djo— }

Manitoba First Nations woman shares story of life under CFS care { “Tamara Murdock understands how young women under the care of Child and Family Services can fall into trouble. – Around six years ago, Murdock, then 15, was living in a foster home with another girl a couple years older than her. – One night they left their foster home to go out drinking. The girl disappeared, leaving her alone with a man in a house. – “When she came back, she came back with money and ecstasy pills,” said Murdock, who is now 21. “She eventually got drunk and told me that she was a prostitute. That’s how I found out she was working the streets.” – Last year, about 10,000 children ended up in the care of CFS. A significant number of these kids are young girls who may find themselves, like Murdock did that night, in difficult situations. – Murdock, from Fisher River Cree Nation, is sharing her story now following the death of Tina Fontaine. The 15-year-old girl was under the care of CFS when her body was discovered wrapped in a bag in the Red River on Aug. 17. — ‘You’re looking for love or guidance, but it’s not something you can find on the street. You know it’s something inside you that you are looking for that you lost.’– Tamara Murdock —djo— }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above. ———djo——— }

=======================

This was tweeted: “The Umbrella Revolution” under fire in Hong Kong. Those are tear gas cannisters being fired at the protesters. The protesters want free democratic elections, the government wants to contol everything. That’s fascism, not communism.

-Go Public-Foreign worker paid $25K to get visa, but arrived to find no job { “An Ontario immigration consultant is under investigation for charging foreign clients up to $25,000 to help them enter Canada to work at low-skill jobs. In at least one case, the worker arrived to find the employer no longer existed.” —djo— }

Ottawa providing assistance to imprisoned Canadian in Cuba { }

Luka Magnotta murder trial opens Monday in Montreal { }

Feds criticised for $300K bill to fly EU officials to T.O. { Apparently, Prime Minister Stephen Harper flew a bunch of his European co-horts to Toronto and sent the bill to Canadian Taxpayers. “T.O.” = Toronto, Ontario. —djo— }

Employment Minister Kenney defends reforms to TFW program { “TFW” = Temporary Foreign Workers. Some companies have been accused of hiring Temperary Foreign Workers at the expense of Canadians who wanted those -usually minimum wage- jobs, but the employers wanted to get away with paying the foreigners less than minimum wages, and some were treated as virtual slave labour. The governmental clamp down on the hiring of all TFW’s has hurt some honest businesses by trying to shut the programme down completely. I’ll have to look into whatever changes this guy is talking about. —djo— }

-Exclusive- Stephen Harper gives pricey free ride home to European leaders { “CBC News has learned Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave visiting European delegates a free flight home to Brussels last week, after adding a Toronto reception to their schedule that made it impossible for the visitors to make a planned commercial flight home in time for a Saturday meeting. ” – * There still is some confusion over whether or not the big trade deal actually went through – my conspiracy-investigating buddies called the deal a blatantly overt plot to sell Canada out to the Banksters who want to destroy everybody’s economy and force every government in the world to be totally dependent on the evil banksters. — shrug, I have too little information to totally agree with that- but it certainly looks suspicious. —djo— }

Vote Compass: What Toronto mayoral cadidate is most aligned with your views? { * If I have time later, I might take this quiz, poll or whatever it might be, I doubt than any of them would be somebody I’d go out of my way to vote for- & I might be taking the quiz half to see if it might be rigged— My friend and co-editor, Jim W, sent me a link a while back to a test to see where in the political spectrum you and your ideals put you. We both scored on the left, between Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. —djo— }

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“Peace Love & Potato Salad”

“Offbeat”

Free house up for grabs in Ottawa’s Manor Park — but there’s a catch { * You’d have to move the house, probably in two pieces, to another spot and then reassemble it. This would probably cost ‘tens of thousands of dollars’ and Land is more expensive in Canada than I expected. The owners decided it would be cheaper to build a whole new house on their lot than upgrade this one to suit their growing family’s needs. They’re saying it would be a shame if they have to bulldoze it down and cart it off to landfill. —And knocking it down and carting it away would cost real money, Doug interjected— The house has to be gone by October 15th. – It looked like an okay house to me, but I suppose it might be lonely and suffer from separation anxiety — When I read the headlines I thought they were going to say it was haunted. No such luck. —djo— }

Man who raised $55K for potato salad throws party { “An Ohio man who jokingly sought $10.00 US to buy ingedients to make potato salad and got “Tens of Thousands f Dollars” threw a ‘charity-minded’ party with more than 30,000 pounds of potato salad and other food available” – Short article, couple photos of the guy, a tray of potato salad and it looks like a video you can click on. —there’s a definite “tens of thousands of dollars” theme today.— —djo— }

-Repeat- Why eating insects may be on the menu of the future { * One ‘scientific predicter of the future’ thought we’d more likely be eating a form of blue-green algae. But don’t go grabbing a bunch of algae and start chomping down on it- some of them are poisonous. —djo— }

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“Most Viewed”

Ottawa police officer Kal Ghadban takes own life at Elgin Street headquarters { There’s a couple Ottawa Help Lines listed below this short article, including one labeled “Mental Health Crisis Line”. We keep losing ex-military and ‘First Responders’ through suicice this year. It’s been an epidemic. “Help! Make it go away – Amen” —djo—}

Brooklyn Honderich, 2, missing in Norwich Township { A two year old wandered from her parents dairy farm near Woodstock, Ontario just before 7 pm yesterday. A helicopter and two canine units are looking for her, as well as a lot of neighbours and friends. They say she’s about three foot three inches talls and weighs about 29 pounds. She was wearing a blue and white striped tank top, tan coloured overalls and grey capri pants, she has light brown hair in ponytails. I don’t feel good about this one, I know I’d be going nuts- my first reaction to the headline was, “Wow, can you imagine a nation wide headline for a child who disappeared from a farm in Iowa or Ohio?” Every parent’s worst nightmare. —djo— }

Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters resist calls to disperse { I don’t feel real good about this one either. —djo— }

-15 photo slide show- George Clooney’s wedding in Venice { I think it was edited down from 22 photos yesterday, yup- so I won’t raise the “Repeat” flag —djo— }

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Other:

International media flurry expected as Luka Magnotta trial begins in Montreal { * What is this? Are various nations competing for the ‘Most interesting murder trial of the year’ award? Gaaaa! —djo— }

-New- Massive police search underway for toddler who wandered from Ontario home { Re-write of an ‘above’ headline? —djo— }

-New- 5 more bodies found after Japanese volcano eruption { }

Trudeau Liberals woo high-profile aboriginal candidates ahead of 2015 { ‘2015’ refers to the scheduled national election. The next national / federal election could come sooner if any more ‘fit hits the shan’ – —djo— }

Ukraine soldiers suffer worst loss of life since ceasefire began { }

5 injured as propane explosion rocks Montreal neighbourhood { My sweetie in Montreal messaged me last night to say it happened in an ‘nice’ area. & She was wondering whether it might have been terrorists, or angry ex-spouses, or a gas leak. —djo— }

Canadian’s 15-year sentence in Cuba ‘outragious’, MP says { -A Canadian businessman sentenced in Cuba to 15 years in prison on corruption-related charges should be sent back home, said a Toronto-area MP who called the conviction a “travesty of justice.”- —djo— }

-Analysis- Mulcair’s dilemma: Canadians like him, but will they vote for him? { This headline ran yesterday, and I thought it was a bit less snarky than comments aimed at other political figures. Today I’m wondering if it’s a delayed reaction word-bomb, supposed to make people leaning toward the NDP think twice before voting that way. —djo— }

Mississauga’s mayor leaves office after 36 years { Some friends called her “Hurricane Hazel” and figured she’d still be in office after her hundred and fiftieth birthday. —djo— }

George Clooney keeps rumour mill whirling after Venice wedding { I read a bit of this and I have no idea why they invoked the “whirling rumour mill’ bit. —djo— }

-Must Watch- Japan volcano rescue operation { }

-Must Watch- Cat narrowly escapes alligator attack { }

-Editor’s Pick- The perils of a recovering U.S. economy: Don Pittis { }

-Politics- Russian ship played key role in Canada’s recent Franklin discovery { “Find was billed as expression of Canadian sovereignity in North” & “A Russian-flagged vessel played a key role in Canada’s recent discovery of a sunken ship from the missing Franklin expedition, a scenario that faced a regulatory challenge and gave senior Conservative officials pause. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper has billed the Franklin search as an expression of Canadian sovereignty in the North — particularly in light of the “imperial ambitions” of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

– “The mapping and surveying activities that are part of the search are also considered a sign of domestic prowess in the Arctic. – A Russian-owned ship became part of the multi-partner Victoria Strait Expedition after it became apparent that the Canadian alternative, a former coast guard icebreaker, couldn’t carry the private financial donors underwriting part of the search. — * Underline ‘private financial donors underwriting part of the search’: Who were they and what do they expect in return? —djo— }

-Business- BlackBerry stamps its Passport, Rockefellers get out of oil: Business Week Wrap { }

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“Local / New Brunswick”

Ex-PM Kim Campbell pitches reform to boost gender parity { She’s suggesting that each riding should run two candidates, one male, one female. I have no idea from reading this article whether she means there should be two candidates from each party, or does she want to limit the election to two contenders and cut out all the other parties? That doesn’t make sense. Kim Campbell took over as Prime Minister when Brian Mulroney escaped before his term in office expired. Most blame Mulroney, but some blame her for the fact that the Progressive Conservative Party went from Number One to a distant 5th party status with only 2 representatives elected to Parliament. * one of my favourite ‘psychics’ believes we’re about to see a similar political blood bath with the next Canadian federal elections. Others are saying that if the Canadian electorate votes for another Conservative Government they will deserve whatever horrendous consequences they get. I have no idea what’s going on up there politically- just reporting what I read. * And what the ex-Prime Minister has to do with local New Brunswick news is beyond me. —djo— }

-New- Diagnosis education: Sioux Lookout hospital sets up classroom { “The Meno Ya Win Health Centre will again offer classes to children and their expectant moms who have to stay in Sioux Lookout for extended periods.” * I don’t know about this. Unless the program was conceived and run by First Nations individuals, it would seem to me to be way too much like the old indoctrination strategy from the ‘Residential schools’ that were set up to strip the culture from First Nations kids. But, I’m here, and I don’t know who is running the programme, or why it was said to be something good for expectant mothers and their kids, who are taken out of their normal environment and placed in the centre. —djo— }

Oppenheimer Park campers vow to stay as Vancouver seeks injunction { “Vancouver police estimates there are more than 200 tents at Oppenheimer Park.” – “Oppenheimer Park campers say they aren’t going anywhere as the City of Vancouver goes to court today to seek an injunction to have them removed. – Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said last week that living conditions at the site have deteriorated and the campsite is no longer safe.

– “But many of the tenters say they would hate to see the camp go because volunteers there have helped them and others. – “Like when I go to work I need a lunch, they provided me with a lunch,” said camper Ricky Comeau who describes himself as working-homeless. – “You know what I mean? They make sure my stuff is safe when I go to work. I love it!” – Volunteers running a neighbourhood lunch program over the weekend say they’re aware of the controversy, but are impressed with the camp. – “They have some pretty good organization it seems,” said volunteer Wisam Abdulla. – “Sometimes in front of the bottle depot we just kind of get raided, whereas here it was nice and orderly.” -Organizer Swampy Cree says the camp is attracting people from all over the province. She says the region needs a more coordinated approach to homelessness. – Others tasked with maintaining order at the camp express frustration because the camp is attracting people from all over the region. – Organizer Swamp Cree says the region needs a more coordinated strategy to homelessness. —djo— }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above. ———djo——— }

=======================

Mount Ontake is Japan’s 2nd highest Volcano and is spewing smoke about 200 kilometers west of Tokyo.

[ Orcas ] are the largest member of the dolphin family and are easily recognized by their distinctive black and white markings and giant dorsal fin. Adult males may reach lengths of eight to nine metres and weigh up to five tonnes.

“Offbeat”

Why eating insects may be on the menu in the future { }

White-sided dolphins make rare appearance near Victoria, B.C. { }

New York postal carrier hoarded 40,000 pieces of mail { A 67-year-old New York City postal carrier has been charged with failure to deliver about 40,000 pieces of mail- which were found in his home, vehicle and locker, dating back as far as 2005. He was released on his own recognizance and ordered to abstain from excessive alcohol consumption. —djo— }

[ Orca ] thrills group in rare Bay of Fundy sighting { A whale watching guide said it has been 16 years since the last time an orca was spotted in the Bay of Fundy and says yesterday’s sighting is one of the most incredible things he’s seen in his 20 years as a guide. }

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“Most Viewed”

Tom Mulcair’s polls dilemma: Canadians like him, but will they vote for him? { Tom Mulcair is the leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, which has the second most seats in Parliament right now. This headline does not have the snarky tone that’s been used in headlines about Justin Trudeau, son of Pierre Trudeau, and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. Headlines concerning Stephen Harper, Prime Minister and Head of the Conservative Party of Canada may not be snarky enough. [ wink ] —djo— }

Halifax police searchhome where deck collapsed, inuring 6 { “Police ‘executed a search warrant’ and searched the small apartment ‘to allow further processing of the scene-‘ before they allowed tennants to return home. 6 people in their twenties were sent to the hospital with injuries when the second storey deck they were on collapsed down onto the first storey deck. The article states that there was no mention of anybody being injured on the deck directly below the one that collapsed. The building made news twelve years ago when neighbours complained that the home’s owner was turning it into an apartment building. That’s when two decks were added. The issue went to court in 2002 and the owner of the building was ordered to pay ‘thousands of dollars’ to the city. * Must have forgotten to pay for a permit first. * & A year ago, on September 15th, a deck collapsed in Dartmouth, across the river from Halifax, and sent people to a hospital back then. —djo— }

Woman, 74, charged after 15-year-old stabbed near his eye { Another headline says the Nova Scotian woman is alleged to have stabbed the 15-year-old near his eye. I like that version better, it’s more honest. —djo— }

ISIS-controlled oil refinery hit in U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria, winess says { This is a repeat of the headline in Lead Articles but I already had most of it typed when I realized that, so I left it here. —djo— }

-22 photo slide show- George Clooney’s wedding in Venice { Aren’t you glad you’re not the kind of celebrity who has photographers and reporters chronicalling, questioning and making snarky comments about every move you make? —djo— }

-Repeat-Blog- Gay teen claims he was forced to wear ‘GAYTARD’ name tag at work { In a fast food restaurant- —djo— }

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Other:

Head lice develop high rates of resistance to treatments that dominate the market { }

Charges stayed against accused drig kingpin due to nearly decade-long delay { I think they mean the charges were dropped. The article says British Columbia police knew where the man was in India but did not try to have him extradited. —djo— }

-Politics- Canada sets lowest standard at World Conference on Indigenous Peoples { Mathew Coon, the Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees, said at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, that Canada contradicted its own endorsement of the UN Declaration [ on the rights of Indigenous Peoples? ] this week at the UN. A UN special envoy had described Canada’s efforts on behalf of the well-being of Indigenous Peoples was ‘insufficient’. —djo— }

17-year-old seriously injured in Moncton { Police are releasing almost no details on this one. They said it was an assault that happened in the west end of Moncton at 4:30 am on Saturday but won’t be any more specific. —djo— }

Coastal red oak multi-year project aims to boost numbers { Volunteers with the Nature Conservancy of Canada ‘are hoping their efforts will help the declining coastal red oak return it its former glory. The Northumberland Strait is the only area in the world where coastal red oaks grow. Squirrels, raccoons and other small animals eat most of the acorns. —djo— }

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“Aboriginal”

-Blog- Stolen Huxhukw mask surrendered to Albert Bay RCMP { }

-Opinion- Canada sets lowest standard at World Conference on Indigenous Peoples { This is repeated from ‘Other’ above, but I’m wondering if the U.S. track record is any better or worse than the Canadian efforts they’re complaining about. —djo— }

-Don’t Miss- Teepee raising competition { }

& Sadly, everything else is repeated from yesterday or as far back as last week. —djo—

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. ———djo——— }

=======================

“Climbers descend Mount Ontake amid smoke and ash after it erupted without warning on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014. The 3,067-metre mountain is 210 kilometres west of Tokyo. (Kyodo News/Associated Press)”

Paul Calandra’s non-answers prompted by PMO staffer: CBC { “Conservative MP Paul Calandra choked back tears while apologizing Friday for responding to NDP Leader Tom Mulcair’s questions on Canada’s mission in Iraq this week with an attack on the NDP position on Israel. – But CBC News has learned that Calandra was put up to the responses by a senior staffer in the Prime Minister’s Office. Several Conservative MPs also told CBC they were furious as they listened to Calandra’s answers in the House.” —djo— }

Petra Kvitova beats Eugenie Bouchard in Wuhan open final { }

U.S. urges Canada to give as much as it can to fight ISIS { Should I quote Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane? “War’s good business, so give your sons-” —djo— }

Why the Newfoundland soccer stabbing has shaken parents to the core { }

3 high-tech ways to limit the flow of arms in Syria { }

-Photos- George Clooney’s wedding in Venice { }

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“Tabulator Ale”

“Offbeat”

Picaroon’s new Tabulator Ale pokes fun at N.B. election { Picaroon’s is a ‘micro-brewery’. The Tabulator glitches are what slowed down Monday Evening’s election results. Everybody thought their new high-tech toys would speed up the results news specials. Nope- Some of the politicians gave up and went home before they announced probable winners after midnight. A manual recount is still a possibility. —djo— }

Richard Branson offers unlimited vacation days (you read that correctly) { “You’re exhausted. You feel like you work 24 hours a day because your phone is always on, always beeping, vibrating — a leash to your cubical. And even though you (hopefully) love what you do, you just need a rest. – Sound familiar?
You start looking at flights and find an fabulous deal. You can taste the margaritas. You can feel the sand between your toes. And then reality smacks you in the face: you’re out of vacation days. The dream is over and all you can do is battle through the next few months until the cycle begins again.-But what if you could take a holiday whenever you needed it? – If this idea sounds appealing to you, consider lobbying your employer with this idea: -Virgin Group founder and chairman, Richard Branson, announced via his website Tuesday, that he’s giving his whole personal staff unlimited vacation days. -The Financial Times reported that the rules apply to about 170 staff at the Virgin head offices in the U.K. and U.S. -However, the 50,000 employees of the larger Virgin Group won’t be subject to the same policy, at least not right away. (Branson did assert in his note that if this initiative is successful, he’ll encourage Virgin’s subsidiaries to adopt the policy.)” * Is he taking applications? —djo— }

“Holy Muttrimony, Bat Man these dogs are getting married!”

Round of a-paws expected at Brandon ceremony of Holy Muttrimony { “Two Brandon [ Manitoba ] dogs will be joined in Holy Muttrimony this weekend. – Opus the sheltie and his bride-to-be, November, a mix-breed from the Humane Society will marry in Brandon’s Stanley Park on Sunday. -November (left) and Opus are set to tie the knot on Sunday in Brandon’s Stanley Park. – “There will 120 white chairs,” said owner Alyssa Fletcher. “Opus’s bow tie just came in and November will be wearing a floral wreath.” – When asked whether the groom would be kissing the bride at the end of the ceremony, Fletcher said the newly weds will be taking a different approach. – “They’re going to kibble each other,” said Fletcher. “He’s going to kibble his bride so she’ll get a nice little bowl of food.” –‘Anybody and their dog is welcome to the wedding.’– Alyssa Fletcher- Fletcher, who runs Grassroots Grooming in Brandon, said the idea to wed her dogs was sparked during a conversation with a friend.” —djo— }

& There’s a repeat of yesterday’s disgusting story about an abandoned truck full of rotten chicken being cleaned up in Montana. { “Ick” <—-<< That’s my daughter’s comment. & that about sums it up for me too. —djo— }

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“Most Viewed”

Deck collapse in south end Halifax sends 6 to hospital { }

Adam Keunen, Niagara-area teen, killed on co-op placement { “Niagara Regional Police say a teenager on a high school co-op placement has died in an industrial accident. – Adam Keunen, 17, of West Lincoln, Ont. was fatally struck by a front-end loader around 9:45 a.m. Friday at Plazek Auto Recycler. -Keunen was a fourth-year student at Beamsville Secondary School. – Paramedics and firefighters were unable to save him. – Keunen was a fourth-year student at Beamsville Secondary School, where flags were lowered to half-mast and grief counsellors were on hand. – “Students and staff are in shock, naturally, they’re devastated. Adam was a very loved member of the Beamsville community,” said Kim Yielding, spokeswoman for the District School Board of Niagara.” * I’m not sure whether a ‘co-op placement’ is when they let students work during school hours and get some kind of credit of it, or not. I was told that many school systems in Canada have a requirement for graduation that includes working so many hours in some kind of community service volunteer position. —djo— }

TTC ‘Leprechaun’ spurs outrage, legal questions { An unknown man wearing a green shirt and a bowler hat, nicknamed ‘Leprechaun’, refused to move his stuff, on the seat next to him on a bus, when a woman passenger asked him to move it so she could sit down. He was captured on somebody else’s smart phone while he sat there, engrossed in what he was doing on his smart phone – and pushed the woman away when she tried to sit down anyway. * I think that’s what happened, I didn’t watch the video —djo— }

Chelsea Clinton gives birth to baby girl { 🙂 }

-24 photo slide show- The week in pictures Sept. 20-26 { Weekends don’t count? The first photo in the group is a couple white tiger cubs, one looks like he might want to eat the camera- —djo— }

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Other:

Humans hard-wired to ignore climate change: George Marshall { George Marshall is described as an author and activist. The article says that ‘top military officers have called climate change “A huge threat to national security”, but activists think that environmental issues have slipped off the political agendas around the world.’ *1. You can’t believe a word any ‘top military officer’says, they’re trained to “tell them anything you have to, just get them to follow orders” 2. Those same ‘top military officers’ are probably the biggest threat to national security on the planet- magnitudes more dangerous than anybody else, with the exception of the ‘Banksters’ who control them. —djo— }

Microplastic pollution discovered in St. Lawrence River { “Microbeads” – “They’re normally found in face wash, shower gel and toothpaste. But plastic microbeads are now showing up in lakes and rivers. – A team of researchers from McGill University and the Quebec government have discovered these microbeads — often marketed by the cosmetic industry as a way to feel extra clean — at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River. – “The more we looked, the more we found. That was definitely really worrisome,” said Suncica Avlijas, a graduate student at McGill University. – Microplastics are a global contaminant in the world’s oceans, but this is the first time they been detected in fresh water. – Researchers collected sediment from ten locations along a 320-kilometre section of the river from Lake St. Francis to Quebec City. – Microbeads were sieved from the sediment, and then sorted and counted under a microscope. – At some locations, the researchers measured over 1,000 microbeads per litre of sediment, a magnitude that rivals the world’s most contaminated ocean sediments. -Biologist Anthony Ricciardi says if microbeads appear in large numbers, they can enter the food chain. – “I was surprised because they’re buoyant, they’re small, they’ve only been reported as floating,” said Anthony Ricciardi, a McGill University associate professor and biologist. – Ricciardi is worried the small plastic beads will end up in the food chain. Scientists say toxins like PCBs can latch onto microbeads which then get eaten by fish. – McGill researchers are dissecting some fish that feed on the riverbed, looking for microplastics inside. – “If they build up in large enough numbers, as they appear to be, they can more easily enter the food chain,” Ricciardi said.

Legislation wanted

– “-Illinois recently became the first U.S. state to ban the sale of cosmetics containing microbeads. – Quebec’s Green Party wants the province to follow suit. – “What we hope is that if a couple of states or jurisdisctions in North America ban the sale of microbeads then the manufacturers will extend that ban to all their products simply to have uniform distribution,” said Alex Tyrrell, leader of the Green Party of Quebec. – Cosmetics companies such as L’Oréal and Johnson & Johnson are pledging to phase out microbeads from their products within the next three years. – “Our ability to detect things in our environment has just increased exponentially in the last number of years. This kind of science has now come to light and the appropriate steps are going to be taken to make sure they’re eliminated,” said Darren Praznik, president and CEO of the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association.” —djo— }

A mail carrier couldn’t deliver a parcel because a female black bear was sauntering around the house where the parcel was supposed to be delivered. The note the carrier left was photographed and uploaded and went viral on social media.

Meet the Canada Post worker who wrote the ‘Bear at Door’ non-delivery slip { See photo to the left —djo— }

5 steps to safeguard against the ‘Bash bug’ { “Bash can typically only be found on Unix-based devices, such as those running the Mac OS X and Linux operating systems and the servers behind the world’s websites. – Even then, most Macs aren’t vulnerable, Apple said in a statement Friday, because it ships OS X in a configuration that doesn’t allow “remote exploits of Bash.” Some Mac users who have turned on advanced Unix services could be affected, and Apple said it is “working to quickly provide a software update” for those customers.” *** Link to article with 5 things you can do to protect yourself: >>—-> http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/bash-bug-aka-shellshock-has-no-easy-fix-1.2779383 —djo— }

Former U.S. Fed examiner made secret recordings of Goldman Sachs meeting { “The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says it “categorically rejects” allegations made by a former examiner that the Fed has become deferential to America’s biggest banks and fails to effectively regulate them. – The New York Fed was responding to a story on news site ProPublica and radio show This American Life that alleges a culture of deference to banks such as Goldman Sachs. – Former Fed bank examiner Carmen Segarra says she found a culture of compliance with the banks when she was posted at Goldman Sachs in 2012. – The report critical of the Fed is driven by secret recordings made by New York Fed bank examiner Carmen Segarra, who was fired after just seven months on the job. – She had been stationed inside Goldman Sachs in 2012, as is the practice for all Fed examiners. She alleges she attempted to make constructive criticism of the bank, only to be contradicted and eventually fired by Fed managers. * The Federal Reserve Bank is not a department of the United States Government. It is a private group of ‘Bansksters’ who have blackmailed their way to power and now pretty much control US currency and US Politicians. *** The US Revolutionary War was fought as much against bansksters as anything else. “No Taxation without representation” was only part of the problem. The straw that broke the camel’s back happened when the Bank of England insisted that the Colonists pay their taxes in Bank of England Notes. These Bank Notes were almost impossible to get in the colonies and when available cost way more than their face value. Thomas Jefferson, who physically wrote the Declaration of Independence and later became the 3rd President, after George Washington and John Adams, has been quoted as saying “Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” The U.S.A. successfully fought off attempts by unethical ice-holes to copy the Bank of England’s tactics and install what eventual became the Federal Reserve, for two hundred years. This gives Banksters, not governments, the power to create money. ‘Credit’ evolved from a scheme that would get con artists life sentences in prison, but the banksters got away with it because they got politicians to write what should be illegal legislation to give them their authority. The huge bailout after 2008 is only the latest fiasco in a long line of illegal, immoral and unethical maneuvers on the part of and in the name of these ‘banksters’. Their first con job is: They have on deposit “X” amount of gold or similar assets, they can then ‘lend’ 20 times that amount, in effect, creating credit out of thin air. The banks get away with this. You would be in jail or evicted from your property if you tried this. AND – we keep hearing that a lot of eviction notices have been served to people whose payments on their homes were perfectly up to date. The system doesn’t care. The banksters don’t care. They want to control you and they believe that if you’re in debt to them, they control you. Grrrrr! Lock ’em all up. —djo— }

Egypt postpones verdict in case against ex-president Mubarak { But what’s happening with the phoney charges against the Canadian-Egyptian journalist? }

Gay teen says he was forced to wear ‘GAYTARD’ nsme-tag at work { “A teenaged fast-food worker from Yankton, South Dakota has become the unwitting poster-child for workplace discrimination this week after teaming up with the ACLU to take on an employer who allegedly forced him to wear a name-tag with the word “GAYTARD” on it. -Tyler Brandt, 16, told South Dakota’s KELO that he had taken a part-time job at the Taco John’s chain restaurant in Yankton this summer to make some extra money. -Unfortunately, upon starting the job, Brandt found his manager to be consistently agitated and “verbally abusive.” – I’ve been very vulnerable and I’ve been allowing him to say things to me that shouldn’t be said, and after a while I was just worried about being terminated from my position at Taco John’s,” Brandt said, noting that he continued to work despite what he felt was ongoing verbal harassment. – Near the end of June, Brandt says he was pulled into the manager’s office and given a name-tag that read “GAYTARD” and asked to wear it. – The gay teen put the badge on for fear of losing his job, despite feeling humiliated in front of customers. -“I would always stay behind the till so they couldn’t see the name tag, I didn’t want them to see it, but even though they couldn’t see it, he would still call me by the name across the store and customers would notice,” he said. – Brandt quit his job one day after being given the name-tag and sought legal help, which eventually came in the form of representation by the American Civil Liberties Union. – “No one should have to face slurs in their workplace – no boss should be allowed to label their employee with insults,” wrote the ACLU on its website. “This is why the ACLU is representing Tyler with his charge of discrimination against Taco John’s – but it’s time they also apologize to Tyler and publicly speak out against discrimination and bullying in the workplace.” – The ACLU has assisted Brandt in filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as a discrimination charge with the South Dakota Department of Labor. -The complaints allege the restaurant violated the American Civil Rights Act of 1964, a law that prohibits employers from discriminating against workers based on race, religion, sex or national origin.” —djo— }

-Politics- Canada ‘joins the big leagues’ with EU trade deal, Harper says { And Stephen Harper goes down in history as one of the biggest economic criminals of all times with this one act. But that’s not all he’s guilty of. —djo— }

-Poll- The Daily Show airs controversial Redskins segment { I still like the teeshirt some people were wearing with a ‘whited-out’ maskot of the Cleveland ‘Indians’ reworded to “Cleveland Caucasions” – I only wonder if me wearing it would be seen as an insult to Native Americans / First Nations people anywhere. —djo— }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. ———djo——— }

=======================

The man in this photo is spending -2.50 pounds sterling?- a day to keep stray and abandonded cats alive in Syria.

{ Last time this week? Today- again, this is -Jim W- filling in for Doug, who’s finally taking care of himself to get over his ‘mild flu’. }

=======================

Lead Articles:

-Updated- ‘Fear and shock:’ Soccer stabbing leaves N.L. town reeling { An ‘older teenager’ is in custody after a bloody stabbing on a soccer pitch in a neighbourhood of Conception Bay South, ‘just west of St. John’s’, Newfoundland, sent an 11-year-old boy, ‘badly hurt’, to a hospital. —jim w— }

Cabinet to consider deploying CF-18s to go after ISIS: CBC { }

BlackBerry narrows 2nd quarter loss to $207M { }

7 things to know about the bottled vs. tap water debate { “Pepsi-owned Aquafina uses water from municipal sources in Mississauga, Ont., and Vancouver. Many popular brands of bottled water are essentially treated tap water.” This article began with a warning to people who aren’t sure their tap water is pure enough to drink – bottled water might not be any healthier than tap water – It might BE tap water. —jim w— }

How ISIS uses captured oilfields to finance its campaign { The last time I talked to Doug he told me one of his neighbours was complaining that he ‘doesn’t even know for sure there is any group named ISIS. The neighbour thinks that group is an imaginary ‘boogey man’ made up by the C.I.A. Doug went on to tell me that he didn’t have the heart to tell the guy that there were worse groups than the C.I.A. out there doing nasty things to innocent people, and too many of them nasties are people we thought were on our side. —jim w— }

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MP Paul Dewar defining the week that was in Canadian Politics?

“Offbeat”

Montana city cleaning up rotten chicken juice from abandoned truck { This article is listed under “Offbeat” twice. That’s worth a story in itself. A driver abandoned 37,000 pounds of ‘now-rotten’ chicken after the company he worked for refused to pay him. They make it sound like he was trying to extort money from them, but I think I’d like to hear his side of the story. Idaho police are looking for the guy, claiming he was wanted for a parole violation. Sounds like a bad action movie plot, doesn’t it? —jim w— }

Windsor man charged with hiding 51 turtles on body in bizarre smuggling case { & I’m beginning I did not wake up in the same dimension I went to sleep in, whenever that last time I went to sleep was- —jim w— }

MP Paul Dewar’s facepalm defines the week that was in Parliament { Conservative MP Paul Dewar’s photo and the video of his reaction to a question asked on CBC’s Power and Politics programme went viral on the web. That was probably not the next few minutes of fame MP Dewar wanted. —jim w— }

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“Most Viewed”

Justin Trudeau’s Sun Media boycott called short-sighted { I think we told you here that a series of tweets last week ‘outed’ top people at Sun News, specifically the Sun News – news-all-the-time cable channel that’s been proposed, 3 of those top people came straight from Harper’s Prime Minister’s Office. —jim w— }

Kim Jong-un suffering from ‘discomfort’, North Korean media says { }

Doug Ford hangs on to brother’s support, polls suggest { }

Teens in CFS care in Winnipeg hotels say they’ve seen prostitution, drugs { CFS = Child and Family Services. When I was in Ithaca, New York State – where I met Doug- there was a family there who were living off the grid. The U.S. version of CFS tried to confiscate their children, claiming that if they couldn’t produce an electricity bill they were endangering the lives of their children. The family packed up and moved to another state, brought their solar electric technology with them. I keep hearing stories that have more than convinced me that agencies like CFS are either unfunded to the point where they can’t afford to investigate their cases well enough to really protect the right people or they’re under the control of not so nice people who come up with b.s. like “If you can’t show me your electric bill, we’ll have no choice but to remove your children from that neglectful environment and place them in protective foster care.” – Where too many kids are abused by people the agencies don’t have the funds, or the time, to properly check out thoroughly enough to be sure they aren’t really bad people. Sorry- I know there are good people in the system, but there are enough ‘bad apples’ to inspire me to raise my hackles. —jim w— }

How my toddler son helps scientists with their experiments { This could have been really creepy, but the experiments described in this article were more along the lines of, the research technician hides a plush toy somewhere in a room. Everybody goes next door, into another room, where the technician tells a two year old boy where she put the toy. Everybody walks back into the first room. The technician asks the boy where the toy is. The two year old smiles and walks to where the technician told him she hid the toy. He smiles a bit more happily when he finds the toy. This experiment is to find out how very young children process information and how well they can learn from other people telling them about things they can’t see. —jim w— }

iPhone 6 meets all quality standards, Apple says { Apple is responding to complaints about bending iPhones and software glitches. If I was them I’d quickly toss a phrase into the terms and conditions that nobody reads anyway and say, “If you’re stupid enough to sit on your phone and you weigh more than fifteen pounds, your warranty is null and void-” —jim w— }

-12 photo slide show- ISIS advance in Syria sparks ‘refuge wave’ in Turkey { Somebody is trying to manipulate us into a war. It’s depressing to watch, and more depressing to think that the ice-holes who are pulling ISIS’s strings are probably the same ice-holes who are trying to pull ours- I was a little bit shocked the first time Doug said ‘prayer helps’ but I’m tempted to say it’s time we all asked for a little bit of angelic intervention here, “Help!” -Amen- }

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Other:

-Analysis- Europeans still need persuading on Canada-EU trade deal { I have heard nothing good about the intentions behind this ‘deal’ myself- the ‘banksters’ are trying harder to take full control of everybody’s lives and they are not nice people. Send them packing- Today’s theme might be “Angelic help wanted- Help!” -Amen- hey, it can’t hurt, right? }

Derek Jeter drives in winning run in final Yankee stadium at-bat { I heard something yesterday about the 5 figure price some ticket scalpers were asking for tickets to that game. Let’s just hope we don’t hear from any credible sources that that moment was bought and paid for by some less than ethical sonofagun. I don’t think I could stand to be any more disillusioned than I already am. }

-New- Father says police murdered his son at Ohio Wal-Mart { A 22-year-old black man in Ohio picked an air rifle up off a shelf in a Wal-Mart and a police officer shot him twice, killing him. – The young man’s father and the family’s attorneys say surveillance video shows the shooting was unreasonable. They contend Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and [ special prosecutor Mark Piepmeier ] were biased and set out to defend the police. – DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney denied the allegations, saying DeWine took pains to remove himself from the process. * And if feels to me like things are becoming more toxic every day in the U.S. – it just does not feel like the same place I grew up in- —jim w— }

-Must Watch- Stress relief in Budapest { “Stressed out people find relief by smashing and breaking items at a club in Hungary” —jim w— }

–World- British PM urges Parliament to join airstrike campaign against ISIS in Iraq { I’m sorry – the image this brought up was a bunch of British Parliamentarians, dressed in mediaval costumes, flying in planes, throwing very heavy books of ancient Parliament proceedings transcripts through bomb-bay doors, trying to kill ‘terrorists’ below. Is Monty Python writing this stuff? —jim w— }

-Politics- Harper, EU leaders celebrate trade deal they haven’t sealed { And everything I’m hearing lately is convincing me that these guys are puppets who may have no idea what they’re doing- delivering what’s left of the free world, signed, sealed and delivered into real slavery under the direction of international banksters. Banksters and their agents may have infiltrated and destroyed the ‘Occupy Wallstreet’ movement from the inside, but they can’t hide the truth forever- can they? What do you think is going on? Who’s selling who out and to whom? —jim w— }

-Politics- NDP to launch bid to boost House Speaker’s powers { But didn’t the NDP just have the Speaker refuse to allow their leader, Tom Mulcair, to ask his questions during a Question Period? Maybe I did wake up in the wrong parallel universe. —jim w— }

-Business- Petronas LNG project still on the table, says B.C. Energy Minister Rich Coleman { Yesterday, was it on the Aboriginal page? B.C. tribes said they might agree to a proposed dam or the Liquified Natural Gas development, but not both. —jim w— }

-Business- Norway’s Statoil shelves Alberta oilsands project { }

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“Local / New Brunswick”

Brian Gallant’s Liberal Government will be sworn in on Oct. 7 { I believe that would be two weeks and one day after last Monday’s election. They move pretty quickly up here. —jim w— }

Final vote tallies today could trigger election recounts { Any candidate who lost by less than twenty five votes can expect an automatic recount. Any candidate, no matter how big a margin they won or lost by, seems to be able to ask for a recount. One candidate is calling for a manual recount of all ballots cast in the province. I’ve heard customers in coffee shops and gas stations saying they think there should be a complete recount. Electoral officers for the province did not know where 35 digital chips containing all the voters’ tallied information from 35 ‘returning offices’ for more than half an hour. This is the first time the province tried this new system. Voters mark their choice on a paper ballot, put the ballot inside a cardboard carrier, bring that to the tallying machine, insert it just right and do not hold too tightly, the machine pulls the ballot inside similar to the way an ATM machine grabs a credit card, reads the ballot and either accepts it or sends it back out. It took me three or four tries to get the ballot lined up right to feed it into the tally machine and it still didn’t like the ballot. – Then we realized I had goofed when I used my pen instead of the marker they had on a chain behind the privacy screen. So I went back and used a marker and everything went fine on the next try. Adventures in strange new ‘technology’? Remember when people said that fax machines were a couple steps backward from email? —jim w— }

Fredericton apartment fire damages 3 units { }

Teen sent for psychiatric exam after assaulting elderly woman { }

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“Aboriginal”

Chief Bernie Mack, of the Esdilagh First Nation, wears hand made gloves while holding a drum during a news conference in Vancouver, B.C., after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of the Tsilhqot’in First Nation, granting it land title to 438,000-hectares of land on Thursday June 26, 2014

Winnipeggers critical of police for not doing more for Fontaine { “Winnipeggers are reacting with anger and frustration over the news that Winnipeg police officers had contact with Tina Fontaine within 24 hours of her final disappearance. – Two officers spoke with the teen during a traffic stop on Aug. 8. She disappeared the next day and was found dead in a bag in the Red River on Aug. 17. – Winnipeg police Chief Devon Clunis addressed the media Thursday. – “I was informed of this discovery on Sept. 3 and immediately directed the professional standards unit to commence an investigation.” – Bernadette Smith,who leads the Drag the Red initiative, said the information comes as yet another sign of cracks in a system meant to protect children.” —jim w— }

Metis nation of Ontario and Greenstone sign historic agreement { “The president of the Metis Nation of Ontario and the Mayor of the Municipality of Greenstone signed an historic agreement Thursday in Thunder Bay. – Metis leader Gary Lipinski said the General Relationship Agreement is the first of its kind in Ontario. – He said it outlines how the nation and the municipality will work together and consult each other on a variety of issues, including economic development initiatives.” —jim w— }

B.C. Supreme Court set limits on recent First Nations victory { “First Nations have claimed a Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Tsilhqot’in land rights case gives them substantial powers, but a B.C. Supreme Court decision has set some limits. – The court decision released Wednesday says two First Nations suing the federal and provincial governments alleging breach of a 164-year-old treaty cannot force the governments to negotiate an end to the legal dispute.

The Songhees and Esquimalt nations went back to court claiming the Tsilhqot’in decision compels the government to negotiate with them to resolve the dispute and make a reasonable offer to settle. – Government lawyers argued that there was no duty to negotiate, especially where liability is in dispute and the Supreme Court of Canada ruling didn’t require governments to offer a settlement. —jim w— }